Earth Heaven or Hell
by max72
Summary: They have reached Earth but its not what they had expected or hope for. Spoilers for Season 3 and Razor. A/R
1. Chapter 1

_OK a new story in the works, Please Please let me know what you think, good or bad I can take it! I have given you a couple of chapters to get the feel of it._

**Earth: Heaven or Hell.**

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thanks to Ruth for frankly putting up with me over this one and for the beta read of course.

All the Chapter headings are taken from this, the first Hybrid in Razor.

_I feel their lives, their destinies spilling out before me. The denial of the one true path, playing out on a world not their own, will end soon enough. Soon there will be four, glorious in awakening, struggling with the knowledge of their true selve. The pain of revelation bringing newclarity and in the midst of confusion, he will will find her. Enemies brought together by impossible longing. Enemies now joined as one. The way forward at once unthinkable, yet inevitable. And the fifth, still in shadow, will claw toward the light, hungering for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering. I can see them all. The seven, now six, self-described machines who believ themselves without sin. But in time, it is sin that will consume them. They will know enmity, bitterness, the wrenching agony of one splintering into many. And then, they will join the promised land, gathered on the wings of an angel. Not an end but a beginning._

_**Chapter One -**__ I feel their lives, their destinies spilling out before me.The Denial of the one true path, playing out on a world not their own, will end soon enough._

The three of them stood in the doorway blocking the way. The scene that met them was one of shock and despair, especially for the Admiral of the fleet. They were his people, the crew whose safety he was charged with, even if he had to risk their lives on a daily basis. Behind him, Cally left formation and rushed to her husband and child's side. Helo was next over to his wife and child. Adama was left looking around at them all, Tyrol, Anders, Tigh, Tory, less surprising to him in some ways Sharon, her child Hera and the Cylon prisoner. He felt the rush of air from behind him as another trolley was wheeled quickly in.

His eyes shut at the sight of the occupant on it, this time not in a coma as the others but writhing in obvious pain on the bed.

This was not how it was supposed to be, his mind screamed, they had made it. Earth was in sight and his world was suddenly tumbling all around him.

His hand reached out and caught hold of the flailing one of Laura Roslin. She quietened slightly at his touch and he reached out, with his other hand, to smooth her hair away from her forehead.

He looked wildly about him as nurses and doctors rushed around the beds. This shouldn't be happening surely this was not how it would all end. This couldn't be what they had all fought for, all this time.

Everything had happened so suddenly. They were amazingly on track to Earth. Adama knew the Cylons weren't far behind, but it was a chance he had to take, a calculated risk. Leading the Cylons to Earth had always been a possibility; he just hoped that for once the Cylons didn't find them or that finding Earth would prove a solution in itself. Ironically it had, but not in the way Adama had wished for, there was no military force to destroy the enemy. Instead it seemed to be the area itself that was the defence and now the entire Cylon fleet was drifting in space. A cause to celebrate within the fleet, even on Galactica the cheers could be heard, Adama had found the thirteenth Colony just like he always said he would.

Raptors were sent out ahead of the fleet to investigate the area fully before reporting back to Galactica waiting at the point it had jumped to for safety.

The news was not what the Admiral had thought it would be or hoped for, Earth was empty. There was no lost tribe there, not anymore and no defence against their pursuers. Adama had little choice but to carry on to Earth and as the giant ship began to move forward so did the assortment of protected ships that made up the fleet.

It was at this point that everything started to happen at the same time.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two -**__ Soon there will be four, glorious in awaking,_

The first sign that there was a problem came in CIC directly in front of his eyes. One minute the Admiral was ordering the fleet forward the next his XO and long time friend, Saul Tigh was spark out on the floor. Adama had rushed round to his fallen comrade to find him unconscious with no obvious sign of the cause. He had ordered medics up and sat with his friend making him as comfortable as possible on the cold floor. Doctor Cottle had come himself at word of the problem. He had demanded answers to what had happened and looking around Bill was aware that his crew had no better understanding than himself. The shrug of shoulders as Cottle looked up had him cursing under his breath, as the Admiral explained what little he knew. The colonel was whisked away quickly to life stations and Adama was finally free to let the President know of the situation regarding the fleet and the much fabled planet Earth. The Admiral picked up the phone and called the President directly, he was somewhat surprised when the voice at the other end was not Laura Roslin. It wasn't even the President's aide Tory Foster who often barked down the phone rather severely at him, making the Admiral wince slightly. The Admiral had learnt early on with her that it never paid to irritate the President's right hand woman so to speak; she could make it very difficult to get to the President otherwise.

"Can I speak to the President please?" Adama asked politely, not even sure to whom he was speaking.

"That's not possible at the moment Admiral," the voice on the other end said rather vaguely. Well at least they know who I am, he thought.

"When will she be available then?" Adama said frustrated.

"I'm not sure, Admiral," the voice faltered making Bill's ears prick up.

""Where is she?" He asked in concern.

"She is lying down Admiral; she's suffering from an acute headache."

"Do you need me to send someone over to see her?"

"She says not, Admiral, I'll keep you informed Sir."

"OK, do that please," Adama gently replaced the phone and sighed. It was unlike Laura to take herself off to her bed during the day; in fact it was more than unlike her. He remembered before the trial had started and Laura had come to his quarters to discuss Baltar, she had quite literally been out on her feet, so much so that she had swayed from side to side as she stood denying his words that she should rest. He had eventually got her to lie down on his rack not without the concession that she lay there fully clothed. He had found it rather amusing that she insist upon it bearing in mind the number of times they had both lain naked upon it. Never once had she complained when she was struggling to stay alive as her body was ravaged by the first round of cancer and now he was lucky if she would pull a face when asked how she was after a treatment for this bout of the evil disease.

Adama was on the verge of picking up the phone again when he was informed him that his presence was need in life stations. He looked across at the Lieutenant hoping for more information but she just pulled a half smile at him nervous or encouraging he couldn't tell.

He looked down at his phone before turning and walking briskly out. He needed to find out about Tigh as well and that visually looked more concerning than a headache.

Adama moved swiftly though the huge ships corridors until he heard a call for him and picked up the nearest phone.

The Cylons had found them. They had jumped in quickly after the Admiral had left CIC. Adama had told the duty officer that he would be straight there and to prepare their fighters, but the officer had informed him that the Cylons had stopped dead in space. They were not moving, no fighters were being launched by them and they appeared to be drifting in space. The Admiral had asked them to alert him to any changes and he made a quick decision to continue down to life stations, something wasn't right and he wanted to find out what.

He didn't notice as he was joined by worried looking Helo and further back a quickly rushing Cally. Their destination the same life stations, and as the Admiral entered the white washed room he was hit by the fact he wasn't just visiting his old friend, he was visiting a number of his most precious and valuable crew members. Tigh, Tyrol, Anders, and TORY no wonder she hadn't picked up the phone on Colonel One, when had she been brought in he wondered? Beside those four the reason for Helo's appearance was laying in a bed to the far right and besides Sharon her child Hera. Also next to Tyrol, Adama now noticed was his son and the last patient was the Cylon prisoner. And so it was, only a brief time later that Laura was wheeled in too.

He shut his eyes briefly, hoping that when he opened them again none of this chaos would be happening, but as they opened again nothing had changed. He swallowed as he looked down at Laura, he had told her that everything would be alright, he had promised to look after her. Now he found himself helpless to protect her. He thought back to that very conversation only days ago.

_He had entered his cabin, to the tell tale signs that Laura was present, the markers of her occupation where scattered all around the dimly lit quarters, shoes neatly paired together by the hatch, her jacket hung across the back of his desk chair, piles of folders scattered across his sofa, he imagined they were placed carefully in some sort of order and not just flung but he couldn't really tell. The finishing touch was that unique smell of loveliness that accompanied Laura. _

_The lady herself came wandering out of the bathroom area, eyes downcast, and glasses just about managing to hold on as they perched halfway down her nose. More secure was the pencil she had tucked behind her ear, he smiled at the sight, she was truly adorable. _

_Laura was reading a report of some sort as she walked bare foot across his floor, she appeared to be totally unaware of the Admiral watching her, and as he continued his silent vigil, once again he felt that rather constant pull to pinch himself. Every time he saw her looking so relax walking around THEIR cabin he swore his heart missed a beat._

_It was at this point in his ruminations that Laura spoke, without lifting her eyes from the paper in front of her she said unwaveringly, "enjoying the view Admiral?"_

_He was never sure how she did that, he smiled to himself perhaps he had a unique smell too!_

_"I'd pay for it," he said. _

_As soon as the words were out of his mouth they hung in the air between them waiting for the laughter, it was a reminder of months back when he had made another risqué remark, without meaning to._

_'You're welcome in one of my beds anytime.' _

_Laura had enjoyed it at the time and had they not had a room full of people the teasing probably would have continued. As he looked at her now, she wore that same half smile and raised eyebrows, as she looked over the rim of her glasses, she quipped back, "you couldn't afford me, Admiral."_

_He loved this more than just about anything in their new found relationship, the easy, relax atmosphere they had gained around each other, well in here anyway!_

_He continued the quick banter with, "probably not, the wages of an Admiral aren't quite what I was led to believe, before taking the job."_

_"Ah, but think of the perks", she grinned._

_He looked Laura up and down and smirked, "yes I have to admit they more than make up for the empty pay check." _

_"Really," she smiled, shutting the folder and walking over to him._

_"Oh yes, and if I'd know about the perks, I would have claimed them earlier!" He kissed the tip of her nose, and Laura inwardly groaned, they had been together long enough for her to know what that signalled, Bill had something on his mind or they needed to have a discussion of some sort._

_Sure enough Bill pulled back and walked away towards his drinks area. Laura sighed disappointedly before going over to the sofa and scooping up all her folders into one pile and sitting down._

_Adama walked over with two glasses, held one out to a grateful Laura and sat down on the sofa next to her. _

_Laura scooted closer to him and was glad when his arm came up and wrapped around her shoulder._

_"What's on your mind then Admiral?" she asked._

_Bill looked at her for a moment before simply saying, "Earth."_

_She raised her eyes but said nothing, so Adama continued, "we've found it," he smiled as he watched her reaction. First, the glasses came off, then she sat up a little straighter on the sofa looking at him with disbelief, her voice when she spoke held a slight quiver, "Earth?" _

_He nodded, smiling with his own delight. _

"_My Gods, I don't know what to say," she looked round the room as if that held the answer, "Earth, with been running for so long," Her eyes came back to him and she smiled, tears in her eyes, "Earth."_

_He laughed and pulled her into a embrace. She held on tightly trying to process the information. _

_She pulled back and asked him, "Tell me about it."_

"_Well the fleet hasn't jumped into the right area yet, and the raptor I sent ahead has not actually come across Earth as such, but the stars confirm it's the right sector."_

"_I have dreamed about this day," she said in wonder. _

"_We are nearly there Laura."_

"_Do you think…the prophecy…I wasn't supposed to see…?" Each small statement was reinforced by the look of distress on her face._

"_Laura," he took hold of her hand to reassure her and turned his body so he was sitting as close to her as he could, "You know I don't believe in all that but," he said watching Laura and carrying on before Laura had a chance to interrupt, smoothing over her now ruffled feathers, "but I know you do, and I have a theory." He smiled and asked, "Do you want to hear it?" He waited until she nodded before continuing, "the dying leader will lead us to Earth, that's how your prophecy went wasn't it, along those lines?" She rolled her eyes as he simplified whole passages down to eight words but nodded nevertheless._

"_I don't think you're the dying leader," he said, placing his fingers gently on her lips to stop the outburst waiting to come out, "just listen to me, then you can let rip, OK?"_

_Once again she was reduced to nodding her head, "I think it's Thrace," He watched as Laura frowned, "She has led us to Earth hasn't she? It's her directions that have got us here, I guess we will never know what happened to her - but to us she was dead. She was dead, Laura, the dying leader." He was almost excited by his words, Laura couldn't fault him for trying, but she did have one question, and he seemed to be waiting for her to say something, now that she was allowed! _

"_There is a problem with that theory," she didn't enjoy the look of disappointment that passed across his face, "The prophecy also said that the leader would never see Earth, Kara says she has seen it already."_

"_Thrace has seen it," he continued as a frown crossed Laura face. "Thrace is not Kara."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_The Kara that I knew is gone Laura, this…woman she's not the same - the spark that was Kara is missing - my Kara is dead and I don't think she will be returning to us. Think about it, can you honestly say, since she has come back, have you actually seen any trace of the fighting force that was once Starbuck?"_

_Laura simply stared, not really able to process the information that Bill was saying, could it be true? Did she dare hope that she and Bill had a future together? _

"_I will keep you safe my Love," he said once again pulling her close, "I promise you."_

His eyes filled with tears that he wouldn't allow to fall, he had promised her and now that promise was in tatters.

_Like I say I would really like your thought on this, so please review._

_Thanks to Stiletto-freek for the nudge that made this chapter better._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**__ - The pain of revelation bringing new clarity,_

The Admiral had waited patiently for the doctor to finish his examinations; Laura had quietened down as he continued to stroke her forehead. It wasn't long before a rather hassled Doc Cottle made his way over to the President. Adama stood back as he examined her but didn't let go of the hand he held tightly unwilling to give up the contact with her. They had been lovers for only a few precious weeks, finally unable to stop the evitable happening both to tired to pull back but their life together spanned far longer than their brief, more physical relationship did.

Cottle straightened up, looked around at each patient in turn before turning back to Adama with a scowl.

"I think we need to talk in private, Admiral."

Cottle watched as Bill Adama glanced down at Laura Roslin and reassured him, "I have given the President a sedative; she'll sleep for a while."

He was still reluctant to leave but as he looked down at his sleeping lover, she seemed peaceful at last and he didn't protest when Cottle took hold of his forearm and pulled him away towards his office.

It wasn't until he was sitting in the doctor's office that he let his frustration out, "What in Hades is going on out there Jack?

Cottle was already well through a cigarette, taking long drawn out breaths of smoke into his lungs.

"HOW the frak do I know?" the doctor exclaimed, raising his hand to stop the diatribe Adama was about to send his way, he amended less loudly, "look I can tell you the medical facts but that's all."

"Fine, give me the facts," the Admiral growled not in the mood for Jack's antics.

Opening the folders in front of him he stated, "Well, I can tell you that, Saul, Tyrol, Tory, Anders, Sharon and the Cylon prisoner are deeply unconscious probably comatose. The President and the two children are not - but are obviously in some considerable pain, I have sedated them until I can find out a little more about what's causing this," waving his hand in the direction of his patients outside.

Bill stated trying to be helpful, "Laura apparently had a severe headache before she collapsed."

"Right, well that's a start," the gruff doctor said.

Bill moved on quickly not wanting to dwell on the thought of Laura collapsing, "do you have any ideas about why this group of people have been...struck down?" he said having no better word for it.

"Well there are some patterns, obviously both Cylons are in a coma, Roslin and the child Hera with less Cylon blood are not as bad, but the others...unless... they're..." the unfinished words hung in the air. Both men looked at each other in disbelief.

"No, No, you're not seriously suggesting that my oldest friend is a ..." Bill exclaimed shaking his head in denial, but as the words started to sink in, Adama's face grew grim.

Truly shaken by the thought he said not looking at the doctor, "Jack, there is an entire Cylon fleet drifting outside, it's the same thing isn't it? My crew in there, in a coma, those... people, that we have all worked with...my best friend, they're...Cylons aren't they?"

"Well, hold on, we need to run some tests before we jump to a conclusions, find out for sure, Bill."

Desperate to get away from life stations the Admiral stood suddenly, "Keep me informed, Doctor."

Jack Cottle watched the slump shouldered Admiral make his way to his office doorway.

"Bill," he asked softly, "is it true? Have we found Earth?"

Adama turned briefly back towards the doctor, "Yes, for what it's worth we have," he said sadly, leaving the doctor to contemplate the Admiral's words.

It was several hours later that a very weary looking Bill Adama, next stepped into Jack's territory. He had been fighting off wave after wave of problems and irritations.

Upon returning to CIC the Admiral had immediately ordered the fleet and Galactica to a halt, he was out of his depth and he needed some answers before he would risk this fleet any more than necessary, they were on the eve of their goal, the greatest prize of all, Earth, he wasn't about to jump in head first.

One of his first jobs had been to begrudgingly try and locate the Vice President; after all he was technically in charge with Laura being incapacitated and under the care of Galactica's medics. It should have been a simple procedure but Zarek was proving a difficult man to locate, he had given up after several phone calls and delegated the job to Gaeta.

The next big headache was the press. They were breathing down his neck on a number of issues; the first of course was that Earth had been found. Other topics varied from why the President wasn't available for comment. One reporter had foolishly gone so far as to ask the Admiral if the dying leader prophecy was true, was Laura Roslin already dead? Adama had just about resisted the urge to throttle him and things had moved on. Why was the fleet not proceeding straight to Earth, was it true that some of the Cylon fleet had jumped into this area? The questions seemed to be never ending, the answers given getting shorter and sharper. Adama went out of his way to give as little information as possible - just enough for the reporters to leave him a lone for a short while.

He had sent out Vipers to investigate the seemingly stricken Cylon fleet. The reports came back that their was indeed no sign of life. The Cylon fleet had grown massively there seemed to no end to the Base Stars and Resurrection ships jumping into the area. All unaware of their fate when they did so. Adama was reluctant to destroy them, if there were other Resurrection ships nearby they would stop jumping in and as things stood they were nothing more than space junk.

Adama caught the doctor's eye as he walked out of his office, clipboard in hand.

Walking straight over to the Admiral, his eyes took in the tired look upon his face, "you look as though you could do with a lay down yourself."

"Mnm," Adama said looking around him noticing that all the patients were now screened off behind curtains.

"What's the situation down here, Jack?" He asked turning back to the doctor.

Cottle indicated moving to his office and walked off in that direction leaving the Admiral to follow in his wake.

"Right," Cottle started as soon as the door was shut, "they are all stable, none of them have got any worse or better."

Adama had to ask, "The President?"

Cottle made no comment simply answered, "She is comfortable, I've put her on something for the pain and she is in and out of consciousness, probably more drowsy from the pain meds than anything."

Adama nodded his head at the answer and thought for a few second before questioning the doctor, "so if we move closer to Earth it will have no bearing on their health."

"I pretty sure that's true but we won't know for sure until it happens."

"Right, so what would happen if we jumped away from Earth?" Bill asked.

"Again I'm not sure but I think there is a good chance they will go back to normal."

Bill snorted, "All this time finding Earth and the very people that have fought so hard for it can't enjoy it."

"Those people are Cylons Admiral."

Adama growled, "Not all of them."

Jack sensing he should tread careful repeated the Admiral's words, "no, not all of them."

The Admiral rose quickly and grabbed the phone off the desk, speaking quickly to who ever was on the other end he asked for Karl Agathon to come down to life stations. He had somewhat callously insisted that Helo return to duty earlier even with his wife and child in here, Adama needed him more so than ever with the absence of Saul.

Cottle looked questionly at the Admiral and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Bill looked Jack straight in the eye and said, "I'm going to test your little theory, doctor."

"How?"

"I'm going to get Helo to take Sharon back from where we came from and see if she recovers."

_Don't panic Laura's in the next part._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**__ - and in the midst of confusion, he will find her._

As he left Jack's office Adama walked over to one of the curtained off cubicles.

He pulled the flimsy fabric back and stepped up to Laura's bed. She looked peaceful at last; whatever Jack was giving her obviously helping.

He let her sleep; he loved to watch her like this. He made a point of waking early on the nights she stayed over, just so he could see her at her most peaceful. Her face held none of the tension it did during the day - oh she hid it well and to the bystander she always looked relaxed but he could see through that, he could see the layers of burden and he rejoiced inwardly that when he walked into her rooms they lifted just a bit.

Laura's sleep however was not always peaceful, he remembered the very first night she had spent with him, it had been the night she had pinned that frakking medal to his chest. Bruised and battered she had still desired him and a quiet drink in Bill's cabin, after the ceremony, had turned into a long night of reminiscence, alcohol fuelled laughter and antics. Funnily though when he had leaned over and kissed her on a silly whim, they were suddenly both very sober. They had stared at each other, for a few seconds, before coming together again with a passion that had taken them both by surprise. Their feelings for one another weren't new, they had truthfully been aware of the attraction for a long time but the furiosity and hunger they had built up had exploded that night, within a few moments they were naked and in his rack.

He had woken in the night to Laura twisting and turning in the bed, she had fought her way upright and away from the sheets seconds later. He tried to soothe her, rubbing circles on her back and quickly the shaking had stopped. She turned grateful eyes towards him before settling back down next to him. He knew she feigned sleep after that but when he asked what it and subsequent dreams were about she always claimed she never remembered them. He let her get away with the answer figuring it was a rather private thing and when she was ready she would tell him, he was still waiting and of late if anything they seemed to have got worse. Bill wondered, as he looked down upon her now, whether he should have push harder to find out.

Her eyes fluttered open and Bill took hold of her hand and whispered, "Laura?"

Her eyes fixed onto his and she attempted a smile, "Hi."

"Hi yourself," he said relived she at least recognised him although the pain was still evident in her eyes and furrowed forehead.

"Cancer?" Her voice faltered.

"No, No not cancer, I can't really explain it but there is something effecting you and the Cylons in this area in space."

Her brow furrowed further and she said, "But I thought I saw the Chief out there and others too?"

Bill turned to look out the curtain, he hadn't wanted to go through his with her, she wasn't strong enough but knowing Laura she would now draw every little bit of information out of him.

"He is... Laura he's a Cylon."

Her head turned slightly and her eyebrows rose in surprise at his words.

"Tyrol is a Cylon?" she repeated in shock.

"Yes."

The next question had him wincing, "Who else?"

"Laura we'll talk about it when you're better," he said hoping to deflect her.

He should have know that won't work with Laura Roslin as she demanded more forcibly "Who else?"

He swallowed and started with the easier one, "Sam Anders, Kara came down briefly to see him but didn't stay long, I'm sure it must be very shocking to find out your husband is a Cylon. Cally has been down here too, the whole time I understand but Nicholas is affected as well, so she has a lot to cope with"

Laura squeezed his hand knowing he was avoiding telling her something, "Who else?"

"Tory," he said simply waiting for her reaction, She turned her head away from him briefly and when she turned back it was with tears in her eyes.

"How did we not know?" she questioned.

He shook his head, his eyes filled as well as his stuttered out, "Saul is a Cylon too, Laura."

She brought her other hand up to meet their already held hands and gripped more tightly.

"Who else?"

"What?" he asked unsure with what she meant?

"There are twelve that makes eleven as I count."

Bill Adama looked shocked, "I hadn't thought about that, damn, I'm a fool."

"Bill," she said pulling on his hand to get his attention, tears once again trying to escape down her face. "Is it me," she asked softly, "Am I the last Cylon, is that the reason I'm here?"

His hand quickly went to cup her face and he said gently, "no Laura you're not the final Cylon," he said giving her a watery smile, "You're not the same, my love; the others are in comas, completely unconscious. You're suffering a fraction of that, just as you have a fraction of Cylon blood in your body," he said reassuringly leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Ok?" he asked looking at her, pleased when he saw her smile and nod her head slightly. He noticed that she was starting to wane but she fought on, getting them back on topic by saying, "Nobody else came in?"

"Mnm," Bill said before catching on, "No!"

"Is anybody missing?" she asked.

He shook his head again until an idea struck him, "Damn."

"Bill?" she questioned worriedly.

"I've been trying to get hold of Zarek all day."

"Tom." She said in disbelief again, "Oh Gods, how have we survived this?"

It was his turn to shake his head, "I don't know but those people out there have all worked to help us, Laura, Saul has saved my life many times. They all fought hard on New Caprica. I can't believe they want to destroy us. They could have done it countless times if they wanted to."

She nodded in agreement and they both lapsed into silence for a moment. Without the conversation Laura found her eyes closing again and no matter what she did she couldn't fight it. She felt Bill's lips on her forehead and then heard him stand but she couldn't find the energy to stop him.

Much to Cottle's irritation, Adama's plan went ahead, Helo agreed to take his unconscious wife and jump back to where they had previously been. The Admiral tried to prepare the young man for the fact that if this plan worked, and Sharon woke, he would then have to watch Sharon fall back into a coma as he jumped back. It would difficult for the man Bill had no doubt. Bill had promised that he wouldn't give up on any of them and that was a promise he intended to keep. Helo, of course, had no idea of the amount of turmoil the Admiral's emotions were currently in, he wouldn't give up because it was Laura lying there and he made a vow to himself to never leave her, ever again. Saul as well was his best friend, no matter what he was, he had never been anywhere but at Bill's side when he needed him and Cylon or not, Adama didn't want to think of him anywhere else.

The flight was planned and Sharon prepared, she was taken down to a near deserted hangar deck and strapped into the raptor.

The Admiral was there to see them off, and the small ship departed and quickly jumped away without rousing suspicion. Bill walked rather dejectedly through Galactica - he had decided to wait for news down in life stations. Once he had checked there had been no change with the patients, he went to sit with Laura. She was tossing and turning as he walked through the curtained off area. He immediately sat on the edge of the bed and took her petite hand in his two larger ones, "Laura, come on, my sweet, relax, I'm here," he reached forward and gently smoothed her hair away from her brow. He noticed the damp feel of it in his hands and frowned. What was he to do - he couldn't allow this to go on and on.

"Laura, I need you, come on wake up for me, I need you to help me with this one," he whispered not really expecting her to wake up. He looked to the ceiling to stop the tears spilling down his cheeks. The only thought running around his head, 'why?'

When the tears still ran freely he quickly wiped them away, it wouldn't be good for the Admiral to be caught blubbering over the President. Questions would be asked and right now the Admiral was being bombarded with more than enough questions with not nearly enough answers coming back.

It was just as well, as the curtain was rather dramatically swept open, the only person who would come into a room like that was the Doctor Cottle, so the Admiral relaxed again, he had nothing to hide from Jack and nothing to fear, anything he said or did in front of the old doctor would not be repeated.

Cottle came up beside Laura and gave the Admiral a severe look, "I could have sworn there was a chair beside you, Admiral, you'll find they are specially designed to take your backside, so you don't have to sit on the edge of my patient's bed."

Adama ignore the snarky comment and turned a concerned look towards the Doctor, who now stood holding the President's notes. "She seems very restless, Jack is she getting worse?"

"No, there has been no change, she's getting close to needing another pain injection; I expect the last one is wearing off."

The Admiral sighed heavily, as Cottle started any exam of Laura, "Look, Bill I will be here a while why don't you go get some rest?" Jack watched as the Admiral shook his head and sighed as well, "Ok, go and get something to eat and drink at least, then if you really need to, come back then, either way I need to examine her and I'm not doing it with you here."

The two stared each other down for a few seconds until Adama looked back at Laura and stood slowly replacing her hand gently onto the bed covers.

"I'll be back in an hour," he said gruffly and walked to the curtain, as he pulled it back he heard Cottle say, "Don't rush back on my account."

_Please, Please Review I hunger for it!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**__ - Enemies brought together by impossible longing_

As the Admiral passed the phone, he hesitated then picked it up, "Mister Gaeta," he said as he heard the voice on the other end, "can you track down my son for me, I'm not sure which ship he's on, sorry, but perhaps you could ask around?" He remembered something that may help before replacing the phone and spoke into it again, "Gaeta are you still there?" He listened as his officer responded and then said, "I just remembered Lieutenant Dualla was going to visit him, perhaps she left details of which ship she was travelling too?" Barely waiting for a reply he replaced the phone on the wall.

Damn, it was only hours ago that he had spoken to Dee, she had told him that she was going to try and patch things up with her estranged husband. He had encouraged her. Times were different now, choices were limited. Couples had to work harder than ever to pull through.

He would have to admit when he had first heard the news that they wanted to get married he had been surprised - but at the time lots of couples had decided to make a fresh start on New Caprica, he had just thought it an extension of that. It had been a whirlwind romance that had raised a few eyebrows for sure. Even Laura had been cutting in expressing a little distaste at how quickly Dee had moved on from Billy's death, making a comment about the advantages of being a commander's wife rather than an aide's.

But Bill liked Dee she was a kind and gentle sort. Looking back if it hadn't been for her they may not be here at all. If she hadn't persuaded him to go back to Kobol this whole tale would be very different.

Lee seemed to care for her, though Bill would always have to question Lee's connection to Kara, there was something undoubtedly there between them but Bill was old fashioned and as far as he was concerned Lee had made his choice. No matter the timings - they were married and Adama couldn't help thinking a calming influence in Lee's life right now wouldn't hurt and he had always fancied the idea of grandchildren!

He shook his head at his meandering thoughts and started to leave life stations but changed his mind suddenly and walked though another closed off area.

Adama stood at the foot of the bed looking down at his oldest friend.

He sighed and spoke out loud needing to say the words to his comatose friend even if he couldn't hear them, "Did you know Saul, did you know you were a Cylon?"

He moved slowly round the side of the bed, "Why didn't you come to me?"

He carried on talking, sinking into a seat by the bed, "when did you stop coming, Saul, was it after New Caprica? Do you blame me, for Ellen, for the occupation, for leaving?"

He rubbed his tired eyes, "I wonder if we would have done things differently if you had been at my side. Would we have stayed and fought for our people?"

He sighed heavily, "You weren't there though were you and neither was Laura."

He smiled to himself and looked in his friend's direction, "I know, I know, military decisions but she balances us Saul, she keeps that military swagger we've perfected over the years under tight control."

He rested his elbows on the bed suddenly very tired, resting his forehead on his hands. "I don't understand Saul; this makes no sense, you a Cylon, Tory, Anders, Tyrol for gods' sake. All this time, you've had so many opportunities to destroy us but you didn't, why?"

"Have you been waiting for something, waiting for mistakes, waiting for your moment…or…?" His voice trailed off and he raised his head from his hands, staring straight at the man lying in the bed but this time as he looked his eyes held just a tiny glint of hope, "or were you watching over us, making sure we didn't fail?"

He stood up and looked down on his friend, "Have you looked out for me Saul? You have pulled my butt from the fire more than once."

Adama looked out at the hustle and bustle of life stations as nurses moved in and out of the other curtained off areas. An idea came into his head as he turned back to the bed and stated, "Tory? Was she there to look out for Laura? Anders for Kara? - He did a piss poor job of that but never the less. Tyrol what was his job? Who was he looking out for? The ship? Was that it; was he here to insure that Galactica kept going?"

The Admiral scrubbed a hand over his stubbly chin. "Am I a foolish Old Man for believing in you my friend, you would surely berate me for it if you were awake?"

He stretched his arms out straight leaning forward and placed his hands on the bed, you're different aren't you? Like Sharon, you're ….human."


	6. Chapter 6

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_**I hope you are still enjoying this!!! **_

_**Chapter Six**__ - Enemies now joined as one_

It had been a couple of hours since Adama had left Saul's and Laura's bedsides. Hours filled dealing with ever more demands on why they weren't already heading for Earth, it wasn't just the press now but Captains from some of the other ships as well.

He was thankful for small mercy though, Gaius frakking Baltar had again gone missing. His incessant verbal attacks on the powers that be, as he called them, had dried up and gone silent. It was news of Earth, that kept him off the front page so that at least was good

Bill stood alone on the observation deck staring out at the dark space in front of him, all it seemed to achieve was the reinforcement of his own isolation and loneliness. He kept telling himself he was watching for ships. If he were honest, he was beginning to get a little concerned by the non-appearance of Helo's raptor. He wondered if he should have sent out a fighter cover with them, he really had no idea of what was out there now had he just sent two of his best officers out to die because he had made a rash decision, so wrapped up in worry and wallowing in the unfairness of it all?

Whether that was true or not the order had been given and now time was ticking, he needed answers, he couldn't keep the fleet at a stop for much longer with out reason.

Results didn't seem to be happening for Adama at the moment though on any front, nobody had managed to track down his wayward son, or if they had he was not answering. Bill had to admit to a certain disappointment. He was well aware that he and Lee were not on the best of terms but he had barely seen or heard from him in a long time. Bill had gone out of his way, to try and bring his son back into the fold. Laura hadn't been keen, which was understandable but Bill had learnt his lessons and wasn't prepared to allow his son to disappear from his life again. Each time though he had been rebuffed and his son had declined his gestures of reconciliation and the offer of his job back.

The Admiral had felt that the quickly spreading news of Earth would have at least had him curious enough to come out of the woodwork but it seemed all his son's old resentments about him had returned and with Helo gone as well, Adama felt more alone than ever.

As he looked out, his eyes turned to the mass of cylon ships now inhabiting the same space as them, should he send out a team to check out the inside of some of those ships, they, well he had taken it for granted that they were suffering the same affects as his own merry cylon band but he had no proof. He wondered what Laura would say? And 'when' he wondered had she become such an integral part of military decisions as well?

He took one last look at the cylon ships and headed off towards the very woman who held his thoughts.

As he entered Cottle's territory he noticed a marked decrease in activity compared to his last couple of visits, he could only guess that there was little to be done with the coma patients.

He headed straight for Laura's area and pulled back the curtain. He was relieved to see two very groggy looking eyes turn slowly in his direction, even in this state they were a very welcome sight, he smiled and walked over to the bed.

"Hi, how do you feel?" he said gently. fingers running gently down the side of her face.

"Tired," she said as her head turned into his touch.

Bill nodded his head, as she managed a small smile.

"Is it the cancer back?" she questioned vaguely.

Bill's face dropped a little but he took hold of her hand and reminded her softly, "no Laura, do you remember, your blood is affected?"

He watched as she smiled and nodded and her eyes became a little more alert, "What about Tom, have you found him?"

Adama frowned, was she not retaining any information? He opened his mouth to repeat to Laura that Zarek was the missing cylon when she said, "He could be laying anywhere in that coma and it wouldn't be noticed for sometime, we need to find him."

He smiled down at her, relieved he was wrong, before frowning slightly again. He needed to pull himself together, here she was sick as this and still doing the thinking for the both of them, he hadn't even given Zarek a second thought. Damn he needed to start doing his job.

He should get his thoughts together, he needed options, he prided himself on his military planning and here he was allowing his emotions to cloud those judgements. That wasn't acceptable.

The Admiral leaned down to the President and stated, "Laura, I need to go," her warm hand wrapped round his, prompted him to say, "will you be alright, can I get you anything?"

She stroked the hand she still held with her thumb and shook her head.

As she gazed at her partner, Laura felt a pang of worry at how exhausted he looked. She could see the tension in his shoulders, the strain on his face and the dark shadows under his eyes. She feared for him. They worked as a team these days. Whether they agreed or not on certain matters, they at least had someone to bounce ideas off. Now he was practically alone, she was far from able to make decisions. Colonel Tigh was out too, and although she wasn't entirely sure whether his influence was a good one or not, he did at least provide a different point of view. Not that she was worried that Bill wouldn't make the right decisions; they rarely disagreed on the big issues, sometime the methods of getting there but not the outcome. She knew Bill though and what he needed, was someone beside him in case things went horribly wrong because this time with so much at stake he wouldn't survive that guilt complex that he so openly wore on his sleeve at times.

She wondered where his son was. She had expected him to show his face with all this going on, Lee Adama was not on her elite list anymore but Bill could do with his support. Captain Apollo had been such a bright burning star for her in those early days but that man was long gone, perhaps she should have been more cautious when he so easily turned away from his father back in the days of Kobol. Kara was easy, give her a challenge, big her up and point her in the right direction and she was gone with little thought of the consequences. Bill had always understood that about her behaviour, he had once told Laura it was that impulsive demeanour which made her such a good pilot, she didn't think it out, she felt it. Lee was different though, his every move was carefully choreographed, she should know, it had been turned against her at Baltar's trial. No, she couldn't easily forgive him, but he should be here to stand with his father, that's what families did.

She was just opening her mouth to say she loved him when the curtain was pulled back forcefully.

"Do you mind telling me what is going on around here?" the voice thundered.

Adama and Roslin both stared with amazement at the intruder before turning to each other in wonder and then again back to the figure still holding onto the curtain.

"Tom," Laura said at the same time that Adama said, "Frak."

Ignoring the Admiral, Tom Zarek turned to the President, "Laura, what are you doing here and why are half the command staff of Galactica seemingly patients here too?"

"Mr Vice President," Bill stated formerly, regaining some wit about him after the shock, his mind was already whirling round at the thought that Zarek was not in fact the last cylon and the equally worrying thought of who actually was, "If you would accompany me I can explain everything."

Zarek shook his head, "Madam President, you and I need..."

"ZAREK," Bill raised his voice sharply until he had his attention, "the President is in no condition at the moment to discuss this with you," in a calmer voice he continued, "as I said if you will come with me I will explain everything."

Still Zarek turned to Laura, and she said in a much frailer voice than he remembered ever hearing before, "Please Tom, go with him."

A curt nod was the only sign of Zarek's agreement before he stepped away.

Laura squeezed Bill hand to gain his attention, and as he leaned down she quietly pleaded, "Tell him everything Bill, you're going to need his help with this," as Adama's lips turned down, she said seriously, "give him a chance Bill, for my sake if nothing else."

She waited until he nodded, reluctantly, before letting go of his hand and allowing him to leave.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**__ - The way forward at once unthinkable, yet inevitable._

Both men warily started to make there way out of life stations neither happy in the other's company but both knowing they needed the other to make this fleet function.

It was an unlucky Cottle that stumbled across the two tense men as they were making their way out.

"Gentlemen," he said trying to quickly walk passed them and not draw attention to himself.

His plan failed dismally when the Admiral commanded, "Doctor can you accompany us and explain your latest findings."

"Well, I..."

"I won't keep you long, then you can get back to what you were doing," the Admiral stated leaving Jack with no option but to follow.

Once they reached Adama's quarters all three men sat down and the Admiral recited the sorry tale to an astonished Vice President. Tom for his part asked a few questions but was on the whole too shocked to add much. He had explained in a rather brief embarrassed statement that he had been away staying on another ship.

Adama on his side decided not to mention the fact that they had Zarek down as the chief suspect for the part of final cylon.

Adama turned his attention to the rather impatiently fidgeting doctor, "what else can you tell us Doctor? he enquired.

"As I tried to tell you before you hauled me down here, there isn't anything else to report." Cottle said gruffly, as got to his feet and casually pulled a cigarette out of a box in his pocket.

The Admiral quickly rose to his feet also and insisted, "you must have found out something it's been hours."

Cottle's voice rose, "Hours yes, but if there is nothing to find..."

"You're a doctor for frak sake, that's your job," Adama's voice rose as he move to stand in front of the doctor.

Cottle didn't back down as the Admiral stood toe to toe with him, and he spat back at him, "yes I'm a doctor... but not some kind of miracle worker, Admiral!"

Tom Zarek watched the confrontation from his chair until the pair started to shout at one another and then stood and moved over to the irate men. Standing to the side of the glaring pair he placed his hands on both men's arms trying to defuse the situation. It had some effect as Adama shrugged off the arm forcefully, turned away and walked angrily over to the other side of the room. Cottle looked down at the offending hand still resting on his arm and then back up straight into Tom's eyes until Tom let go quickly. Still trying to calm the overcharged atmosphere he asked the doctor reasonably, "Is there anything you can tell us doctor?"

Cottle sighed and let out a deep breath before saying more calmly, "look all I can tell you is as far as I can work out it seems to be... simply a case of misfiring neurons."

"Neurons?" Zarek asked.

"They are basically the cells within the body which make up the nervous system, specifically, those which information travels along, telling us what to do."

"So theirs are telling them to go into a coma?"

"Essentially, yes, they seem to be blocking or disrupting anything from getting through."

Adama asked quietly from the other side of the room, "why is Laura in pain then, why is it different for her?"

Jack sighed, knowing that single question had more to do with Adama's anger than anything else that had been said and he answered regretfully "I don't know Bill, I'm sorry I really am, but the brain is still a great mystery to the medical world."

The Admiral's temper seemed back under control as he nodded his head dejectedly. "Thank you Doctor, that will be all."

Cottle glad to be released made his way quickly over to the hatch, as Adama softly said, "Jack...I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for Bill, just blowing off steam," Cottle reasonably replied before exiting.

Zarek and Adama found themselves both standing, and wanting to get things back on track. Zarek sat back down and said calmly, not wanting to rile the Admiral's obviously brittle temper, "Well, Admiral, tell me, have you made any plans for us?"

Adama came round the table and sat rather heavily in his chair.

When no answer came back Tom continued, "I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye in the past Admiral, but let me state now that I am one hundred percent behind you with this. I will support you and do all I can to help. Laura and all of those men and women down there have worked tirelessly to keep this fleet going, now it's our turn to keep them going."

Adama's eyes widened as Tom said his piece, was this day of surprises ever going to end he wondered. He didn't trust Zarek, he'd had too many run in's with him before but Laura was right, he couldn't work this all out on his own - he needed someone to rely on and with the lack of usual suspects, he was left with Tom Zarek as his only choice, he hoped Laura's faith in him was justified.

"What can I do?" Tom asked.

Adama was frankly amazed by the turn of events so far, none so much as this, a co-operative and helpful Tom Zarek was a new experience to him. He wondered if Tom was like this with Laura all the time, he refrained from smiling but she had a certain way of 'getting people to co-operate' and it wasn't all charm and charisma. He wasn't going to waste this opportunity though.

"I'm concerned that we still have no idea who the last cylon is," Bill said honestly.

Zarek laughed, "I'm surprised you didn't have me pegged as one."

"You turned up walking and talking that about rules you out," Adama said with a deadpan face.

The Vice President, not for the first time, with the Admiral was not sure whether he was joking or not and he had the distinct feeling the joke was definitely on him, so he moved on swiftly. "Do we have any proof that the last one is in the fleet?"

"The cylon prisoner that we know of as 'Six' claimed that they had no idea who the final five were and as four have turned up in the fleet..." He shrugged his shoulders

"It's likely they were all here," Tom finished nodding.

Bill sighed in concern, "of course, anybody in the fleet could be our last cylon, that's a lot of people and scores of them could go missing without anyone noticing."

Zarek thought for a moment and then disagreed, "if your theory is right -the four we now know about, all had a strategic place, either here or on Colonial One, it would make sense that it was true for the final one too."

Bill nodded; perhaps Zarek wasn't such a dead loss after all, "yes, your right, that seems sensible."

Bill took his glasses off and rubbed a hand across his face, which ended with him pinching the top of his nose before replacing them. "We need to get some visual checks sorted then, on both ships, find out if we are missing anyone."

Zarek looked at the man in front of him, he looked exhausted and he had every right to be.

Tom had never been a big fan of Adama's but the man had steered them this far. It was Tom's opportunity to prove to this stoic Admiral that he was worth more than the schemes and plots that Adama associated with him, and he found himself desperate to justify his role as Vice President.

As Tom looked at the tired man in front of him he realised that this one man, Admiral William Adama, had been carrying the weight of the fleet entirely on his shoulders since this all started and now it showed. He knew though that any suggestions of sleeping from him would probably have the opposite effect, so Tom kept his mouth shut.

The only one with any chance of getting though to Adama mid fight had always been Laura Roslin. Zarek had no allusions about the type of relationship they shared these days, the pair were joined at the hip, and whether they were shouting and screaming at each other or standing side by side against the rest of the fleet, it was done with an intensity that could only be associated with a very intimate partnership.

Gods he envied Adama! Laura Roslin was a glorious woman, looks were only part of her beauty. It was plain to see that Adama knew that, you could see it in his eyes when he looked at her.

Adama for his part was a rock, Laura must have the feeling, Tom thought that her knight in shining armour would never let her down. Oh he had, there were many disagreements, huge differences in opinion, and Adama never seemed afraid of hurting the President, but the lover in him would never leave her to suffer. Tom imagined it was a tightrope type of way of handling an affair but with the positions they held, it was a way that seemed to work for them.

"You must have someone in your crew that can get that rolling," Tom said trying to take off some of the pressure, "how about Gaeta he's good with facts and figures, more than capable of sorting that out isn't he?"

"Yes Gaeta's a good choice," Adama agreed.

The phone rang before more could be said and the Admiral picked it up quickly, "Adama, go."

"Yes, thank you, when he's finished doing that, can you ask himto report to my quarters," Bill replaced the phone with concentration before looking back up at Zarek. "Agathon is back."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, but he is taking his unconscious wife back to Cottle as we speak." The Admiral looked down at his desk lost in thought.

"Do you have any reports about the conditions on Earth?" The Vice President asked.

Adama's eyes didn't rise for the desk top as he said quietly, "Perfect," he laughed at the irony, "The frakking place is perfect. Any number of areas that are abundant with materials for building and food sources are readily available."

"So this truly was the place then?" Tom said more to himself than Adama.

Bill nodded sadly, "It is."

"What are we going to do with the fleet now?"

William Adama looked up quickly, "They're going to Earth," he said with certainty.

"What about Laura, you can't leave her like that," Tom snapped.

"What I can't allow," Adama said tensely, "is the thousands of people in the rest of this fleet to miss out on their chance to get a normal life."

"But..."

"Mr Vice President," The Admiral stated as he stood, "It's time for you to lead the people to Earth, the outcome of a few... cylons, can not out weigh the need of the human race."

"Admiral wait, you can't just..." Tom's wide eyed sentence was cut short by a knock at the hatch.

It was several seconds before Bill tore his hardened eyes away from Zarek's pleading one and shouted in the right direction, "Come."

A plainly distressed Helo walked in and saluted before his Admiral and Vice President.

"Sit down, Karl," Adama said indicating to a chair. Heading over to the drinks cabinet, he poured the young man a drink and handed it to him before reseating himself.

Helo accepted the glass gratefully and took a large swallow of the liquid before looking back to the now seated Admiral, "It was as you said, Sir, we jumped out of this Solar System and she…" His voice cracked slightly and he took another gulp for his glass. "She woke up, she was fine, it was as if none of this had happened," Helo shook his head in disbelief.

"Your Wife had no idea of what was happening to her?" Zarek enquired of Helo.

The Officer turned to the Vice President, "No sir, she couldn't explain it."

"Thank you, I appreciate what you have done, Helo it couldn't have been easy," Adama's voice rumbled. "Why don't you take some time for yourself?"

"Thank you Sir, I would like to go and sit with my wife."

Bill Adama nodded his head in understanding, as Helo stood and saluted to his commanding officer. The Admiral saluted back and turned to Zarek as Agathon turned to leave. "I think we should go and tell the Doctor about these finding, if you would like to accompany me," Suddenly remembering Adama called out to Helo, "Karl," he waited for the retreating officer to turn back in his direction. "Did you see any other Cylons when you jumped from this space?"

"No Sir, it's all quiet out there."

As Adama nodded the young man turned and left. He was closely followed by The Admiral and Vice President all heading in the same direction, all of them concerned for the future.

As they neared life stations, Tom thought of something Adam had said earlier and questioned, "So you intend to take the rest of the fleet to Earth?"

Adama turned his head in Zarek's direction, "No, I'm not."

Zarek went to question this answer, "but you said…."

The Admiral interrupted as they both stepped into life stations, "I am not going to lead them to Earth, You are."

Zarek starred at Adama in disbelief but before he could string an answer together the Admiral had stepped away in pursuit of Doctor Cottle.

When they caught up with Cottle the men relayed Helo's information, Jack informed them that Sharon was once again settled in her bed and seemed none the worse for her trip away.

Adama listened a little distractedly and when they had finished he asked the Vice President if he could speak to Gaeta about the head count. Tom asked Bill what he was going to do, and watched as the Admiral's eyes tracked across towards Laura's curtained off area.

"I'm going to see if I can speak to the President," He said looking back at Zarek.

"Right," Zarek smirked slightly, "Give Laura my love then Admiral," he said as they reverted back to their usual relationship.

William Adama turned towards Zarek, the old spark of animosity in his eyes. "I'll send your regards Mr Vice President."

Zarek Smiled , "Thank you. Oh and Admiral, when you have finished perhaps you will come and discuss this wild plan you have in mind?"

Adama nodded curtly at the Vice President and walked away - smiling to himself, that's the Zarek he needed, one that could - look and sound like a President.


	8. Chapter 8

_So here we go, it is the dreaded chapter eight! Huge thank you to my beta Ruth who has sat through six versions of this and a complete change in direction! _

_I really hope you enjoy this!_

_**Chapter Eight**__ - And the fifth, still in shadow, will claw toward the light, hungering for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering._

"Bill, Bill - Admiral," the voice whispered at the fringes of his consciousness.

"Admiral, for frak sake go and lie down in your own rack," Cottle's hand shook Adama to alertness as his voice raised in volume slightly.

Bill lifted his head, looking round dazed to find himself in life stations. As he looked to his left, he saw Laura asleep. Looking to his right, his vision hit upon a grumpy looking Jack Cottle.

"What?" Bill asked groggily, running a hand down his face trying to rub some of the sleep from it.

"Go and sleep in your own bed, Admiral," Jack said quietly not wanting to wake the President.

"How long have I been here?"

"I'm not your personal time keeper, you know," he replied sticking a cigarette in his mouth, "About two hours I'd say, more than long enough to be sitting on a chair with your head resting on the edge of one of my beds at your age, frankly Admiral, I don't need you as a patient as well."

Adama stood, ignoring Jack's derisory words and looked down upon the sleeping woman on the bed. She looked so peaceful asleep like this, there was no sign of the debilitating malaise that threatened their very happiness together. His hand reached out as if it had a mind of its own and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Jack cleared his throat behind him, to remind him of his presence.

"Can you see any way out of this Jack?" Adama said his vice flat, without turning away from Laura.

When no answer came immediately Bill turned round to face the doctor, "Jack?"

"Right now," Cottle said reluctantly, "no, but with some study I hope it can be cured."

"Hope...and what do we do until that _hopeful_ cure? I can't leave them like this." He turned suddenly away from the sleeping President and started walking out, as he drew level with Jack he turned to him and said, "I have to let them go," before striding out and leaving Jack unable to ask the Admiral just what he meant by that statement.

The Admiral's forceful step as he thundered through the corridors of Galactica, belied the fact that the only sleep he had recently had, was obtained by being propped up by a bed - as he sat in life stations.

The crew of Galactica knew the signs, and stayed clear of the Old Man. His shoulders were set, hands fisted, his face grim, the Admiral was angry and his crew felt it as the very floor shook in his wake. They didn't know the cause and wouldn't dare to ask, the answer... was the most basic and fundamental of things, William Adama was angry, at life. He had been dealt the most ridiculous final set of cards, he was not blinded by that anger though and he flatly refused to fold.

It was this tense and closed off Admiral that appeared in CIC a few minutes later.

A situation report was quickly offered and acknowledged by the stony-faced Admiral. He stood in the centre looking round at the faces, trying to calm his raging thoughts but all he could see were faces that didn't belong there, the people that could really calm the Admiral, were all in Cottle's sickbay one way or another. Gaeta was a familiar face and as he emerged onto the command centre floor he carried his usual assortments of clipboards and folders, bringing with him a sense of continuity. He walked directly up to the Admiral, and said quietly, "Sir, the Vice President asked me to look into a matter for you," Gaeta waited for some response before continuing. The Admiral steered Felix away to a quiet corner before asking him to elaborate.

"Right Sir, I rang around the various sickbays in the fleet and about half way through my list I came across a patient that was displaying the relevant symptoms."

"Go on Mr Gaeta, what else did you find out?" The Admiral inquired.

"There wasn't a great deal of information available, the doctors don't know what is wrong with her but she is stable.

"Her? It's a woman?"

"Yes, Sir," Gaeta flicked through some of the papers on his clip board. "I have the lady's name listed as Mrs A. Jameson, her husband Alan brought her in just after the fleet jumped into this area."

Adama frowned, "Does she have any connection to Galactica or Colonial One?"

"Not that, I know of sir," Felix swallowed, "ah I took the liberty of having the lady transported here, was that alright, Sir?"

The Admiral stared at the console in front of him deep in thought, before turning back to the young Felix Gaeta, "that's fine," Adama grasped Gaeta's arm softly and said, "thank you Felix you have done a outstanding job, do we know when this lady will arrive?"

"It shouldn't be long Sir, last time I spoke to the Captain of the Demetrius they were nearly prepared to move her."

"Thank you," Bill said before moving back to the main console. He felt rather puzzled by this latest turn of events - he hadn't expected a woman with no obvious connection to Galactica or Laura's ship to be the final Cylon. They needed to see her - maybe that would shed some light on proceedings.

The ship docked and the Admiral was informed that the patient was being taken straight to life stations. Before leaving he stopped at Gaeta's station and sighed, "Put a call through to the Vice President for me, get him to join me down there."

As the Admiral stepped back into life stations he took a deep breath, he was getting very tired of this place. There was some obvious movement and voices could be heard from around a closed off curtain at the far end of the room. Adama decided to wait it out and stood watching the area for signs of anyone coming out.

As the doors opened behind him a ruffled and tired looking Tom Zarek stepped in, it looked very much as if Gaeta's call had just woken him up. Even now Bill couldn't help the petty amusement that ran through him - but when he spoke his words were grim.

"Gaeta, has apparently found our missing Cylon," he said indicating to the closed off curtain.

"Who?" Zarek asked looking in the same direction as Adama.

The Admiral turned to face him and lowed his voice, "I have no idea, her name is Jameson, she was on the Demetrius, middle aged and has no obvious connections to this ship or Laura's."

It was Zarek's turn to frown, "but that makes no sense."

Adama shrugged his shoulders and muttered, "I'm not sure any of this does."

Angry voices could be heard, as the phone began to ring in the background and the noise of a curtain being pulled violently opened and closed again, stopped any more exchanges. A nurse ran across and picked up the phone, as a voice bellowed across the room making both Adama and Zarek turn quickly in that direction.

"Admiral Adama," the man spat as he came out of the curtained off area, "I might have know you were behind dragging us here."

The Admiral, for his part, was trying to remember if he had ever met this rather angry looking man, and came up blank as he continued his rant.

"Why have you brought us here? What right have you to demand that my wife be brought here?"

Zarek for his part showed he had some skills as a Politician and immediately stepped forward and tried to calm the irate man, "Sir, why don't we sit down, I'm sorry Mr Jameson, I don't know your first name, I'm Tom Zarek and I'm sure we can sort this all out quickly?"

"Admiral?"

A touch on his arm had him turning in the direction of the timid voice. "I'm sorry, Sir, I have an urgent call for you." She pointed over to the desk that held the phone, Adama looked back over at the mysterious man, Zarek seemed to be holding his own, so he stepped over to the handset and picked it up.

"Adama."

"Admiral, Sir, its Dee."

"Yes Dee what can I do for you?" Bill said rather distractedly as he continued to look over at the Vice President starting to lose the battle of calmness with his stranger.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's about Lee."

The Vice President appeared to be starting to lose the battle of wills and Adama wished Dualla would get to the point!

"He's not well, Sir," she said quietly.

Adama needed to go, he could see the tension building and if he didn't do something soon, Zarek would be sporting a black eye.

"Dee, why don't you bring him back to Galactica and we can get him some treatment?" The Admiral said reasonably.

"Yes, Sir, thank you, but there is something else I think you should know."

"Ah Dee can it wait till you get here?" The Admiral said already moving round the desk ready to move on.

"Yes, yes I guess it could," she said hesitantly.

"I'll see you here then, thank you for looking after him Dee I appreciate it," with that he quickly put the phone down and moved over to the mounting argument.

"WILL YOU PIPE DOWN OUT THERE?" Cottle's voice demanded from behind the curtain.

All three men looked in that direction and Adama said coolly, "Why don't we us the doctor's office while he is examining your wife."

"She doesn't need another examination, her own doctor has already looked at her," Mrs Jameson's husband said crossly but more quietly than before.

"I understand your frustration, Mr Jameson, but Doctor Cottle is the finest medical man in this fleet and I promise you he will tell you his findings in due course, nothing will be covered up here and I will explain it best I can to you. Now if you will follow me we can wait in his office," Adama gripped the man's arm and started moving the him off towards Jack's office.

The three men were uneasy in each other's company; Mr Jameson stared with hostility across at both Adama and Zarek. The Admiral had stalled any questions that the man had until Cottle came out of his exam but as time ticked by all of them were getting noticeably edgy.

It was a good twenty minutes later that Cottle finally emerged from round the curtain and headed to his office. As he stepped in he found it occupied by the three wary looking men. "Feel free to use my office," he mumbled under his breath, as he moved past the standing Admiral he gave him a slight nod and his eyes confirmed that indeed they had found their final Cylon.

He went and sat behind his desk and waited for the barrage of questions the lady's husband clearly had on his tongue.

"How is my wife? What are you going to do to help her, when can I see her?" Were the first set that bubbled forth from the clearly upset man.

He was about to add more enquiries to his list but Cottle stopped him, "Mr Jameson, let me answer those questions first."

Adama started pacing quietly in the background.

"Your wife is comfortable, she will have a nurse with her at all times to monitor her, I believe your second question was about treatment?'' Cottle said and waited till the man nodded, "unfortunately there is nothing I can do, she is in a coma, and thirdly you can go and visit anytime you like."

"Coma...how...you don't just fall into comas, what's wrong with her, something must be wrong?"

Cottle looked across at the prowling Admiral, who winced. This was not an easy conversation and the Admiral felt a small relief when Cottle's phone started to buzz.

Jack, as a long standing medical man, was quick to pick up and see where he was needed next.

Adama was therefore surprised when the phone was thrust in his direction, "Gaeta," he supplied in way of an answer.

As Bill picked up the phone, Gaeta's voice came back at him, "Sir I thought you would like to know that the Raptor your son and daughter in law are on is now docking.

"That was quick?"

"Yes sir seems the captain was quite eager to move the sick son of the Admiral of Fleet off his ship."

"Yes I bet he was, o.k. thank you Mister Gaeta, I guess they had better come down here after they come aboard." Bill looked across apologetically at Jack, who raised his eyes in annoyance.

The Admiral replaced the handset.

"What now?" Jack snapped tersely.

"Lee's not well, Dualla has brought him aboard."

"What's wrong with him?" The doctor in Cottle kicking in.

"Actually I don't know," the Admiral uttered.

"Touching as this all is perhaps you can tell me what is going on with my wife?" Jameson's voice sliced through frustrated.

"We can't..."

"Now you listen to me," the angry man got to his feet and stood toe to toe with the Admiral of the fleet. Both Tom and Jack stood uneasily at the stand off. "You may think you're some kind of god strutting around your mighty battlestar," Jameson spat thumping his finger to his own chest, "but you're nothing to me, the only thing that matters is my wife and if you get in my way then you and I are going to start locking horns, Admiral," he finished with.

Adama for his part remained completely calm in front of the impassioned man, and said softly, "You must love your wife very much, Mr Jameson."

Calming visibly under the Admiral's softly softly approach he said, "yes, yes I do, she's not been herself recently, she's been very depressed, preoccupied, going off without telling me. She has had a problem with alcohol ever since I have known her - but it's been getting worse again. I've been concerned for her and now this!"

"Sir, I think it's best explained if I show you something, if you'd come with me," Adama moved over to the door and held it open for Jameson to step through and followed on behind him, Bill steered the man over to one of the curtained off beds and just pulled it back enough to show the man on the bed.

"This man has all the same symptoms as your wife, so do these other three," he said pointing down the line of curtains.

"So what's wrong with them then?"

The Admiral went over and pulled another curtain back and heard a sharp in take of breath from the man at his side.

"But that's ... that's, I've seen her."

"Yes Sir that is a Cylon we know as Six, you probably saw it on New Caprica. This bed is also occupied by a know Cylon," he said now pulling Sharon's curtain back to show him.

"I don't understand - what are you saying?"

The Admiral said bluntly indicating the beds, "These four fell into a coma at exactly the same time, also here are ...the children of these...what I'm saying is - these four and your wife make up the five missing Cylons, we now know who all twelve are, she's a Cylon, I'm sorry."

Jameson stared open mouthed at the Admiral before laughing out loud. "Don't be a fool; she's my wife we have been married for years."

"I'm sorry," the words Adama was about to say were lost as a bed came crashing through the door with the figure of Lee Adama on it. "Excuse me a minute," Bill said worriedly before heading across to see his son. Dualla was still at his side and Cottle's years of experience had him there quickly as well.

Adama watched as Cottle tried to examine Lee but he was finding it difficult with struggling patient. "What can you tell me, Lieutenant?" Cottle asked glancing up at her.

"He was fine and then all of a sudden he's out flat telling me he has a terrible headache."

Adama frowned and looked round, Zarek had grabbed Jameson and moved them away, but they stood staring at the drama as it unfolded.

Cottle ordered his nurses round him and quite suddenly Lee's body went still. The Admiral stepped forward anxiously, "Jack."

"It's alright his just unconscious."

It was Dee that pucked up enough courage to ask the question they were all wondering, "What's wrong with him?"

Instead of answering straight away, Cottle glanced up at the Admiral, written in the look was enough to have Bill move round next to the doctor whose voice dropped in volume, "It looks like the same as Laura."

"It can't be!" Adama's face crease in concern and puzzlement.

"I... it looks the same" Cottle said trying to work out the implications of his statement.

"How?" Adama snapped.

"I don't frakking know," Cottle said tensely but held up his hand before Adama's anger overloaded, "Look he has the same symptoms as Laura and the other hybrid children."

Bill's eyes widen as a sudden thought hit him, and he turned quickly to Jameson, and demanded, "What did you say your wife's name was?"

"What?" Jameson said caught out by the sudden question.

"Her name, what's her name?" his voice increasing.

Jameson swallowed under the intense gaze of Adama, "Ann, her name is Ann."

The Admiral's breath hitched and he looked round at Cottle, who seemed to realise were this was going and said, "I don't know Bill."

The Admiral took a deep breath and looked toward the last shrouded bed before striding start over a pulling open the curtain.

"Hey," Jameson started to step forward only to find himself held back by a hand on his arm and he turned angry eyes on the Vice President. Neither men had the slightest idea of what was going on but could see it was significant.

Adama stood perfectly still looking at the woman on the bed. No sound came out of his mouth but his grip on the curtain tighten and as the tug became more pronounced the hooks began to snap and pull away from the rail. The Admiral began to fall with the curtain to his knees and only the closest could have heard his whispered words, "Oh gods no, not Carolanne."

_So come on what did you think?_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you ver much for all the reviews, and keep them coming!_

__

_**Chapter Nine**__ - I can see them all._

A pressure built as a myriad of feelings flowed and flashed in his mind. It's odd, Bill thought, he associated your life flashing before your eyes with dying, but he wasn't dying and the one time he thought he was, all there was, was visions of flying through the air landing spread eagled in the centre of CIC, two bullet holes oozing his life upon the desk top. No flashbacks to happier times, no reliving of momentous times in his life. None. Now, however, the memories washed over him in a cacophony of lies and untruths. Carolanne's deceit and deception had made a lie of everything he had held close.

He blinked, no that wasn't fair perhaps she was as innocent as Saul, if Saul was, indeed innocent; she may never have known what she was. The fifth and final Cylon, all of them revealed Doral, Leoban, Cavil, Boomer/Sharon, Caprica/Six, Biers, Simon, Anders, Foster, Tyrol, Tigh and finally Carolanne. An odd mix, Bill wasn't sure what he was supposed to make of it. Especially down on his knees on the cold floor.

It wasn't long before Jack had some how got him to his feet, even if Dualla was being used as a prop to keep him upright.

He couldn't take his eyes off the form lying in the bed, she hadn't changed much over the years, he thought. Carolanne was always a striking woman, she had attracted him immediately. At the time he had met her he'd had his youth as a fighter pilot and used it to the full. When he found himself entering his thirties with very little to show for it and fewer memories to savour, Carolanne walked in at just the right time. She seemed to offer him the stability that other men round him were enjoying and he jumped in with both feet.

He could hear on the fringes, words being banded about but nothing was registering with him. Never before had he felt so totally unable to connect to the reality going on around him - numb - his mind though was anything but. Jack's face appeared in his line of sight, he looked worried, poor Jack, and he had more than enough to cope with right now. Bill's look of utter vagueness staring back at him couldn't help, or the tremor that ran through his body even as Dualla did her best to support his traumatised frame.

Tom was doing his best to keep the woman's husband on a leash and away from the developing scene, all the while trying to actually work out what the frak was going on.

There was an increasing crowd gathering round life stations, all wondering what the fuss and noise was about, shocked to find their leader and father figure down on his knees. Cottle took advantage of it by shouting across at a stunned Helo, standing just outside the closed off area that held his wife, "Helo, give me a hand here."

The man was fast off the mark, quickly at the Admiral's side and between them they manoeuvred Adama back into Jack's office and into a chair. Cottle wondered if a bed would have been more practical but Bill seemed to holding himself upright now and their was a spark of recognition coming back to his eyes.

He nodded his thanks to Helo and waited until the boy had left, before coming across to the dazed Admiral with a glass, "Bill, come on take some sips of this," waiting until he felt the Admiral's fingers tighten around the glass.

Bill took a swig, coughing as the liquid burned down his throat.

"I said sip!"

"Frak," Adama mumbled

"Frak indeed, this is one frakking mess, I take it that's your ex wife out there, which makes Lee..."

The noise that escaped Adama lay somewhere between a groan and a shriek. Cottle closed his eyes at the sound. He had known Bill Adama a lot of years, some of them good, some of them tough, these last few years had been more than the man deserved, after his years of service but then he didn't know of anyone that hadn't had it rough since the destruction of the Colonies. Most didn't have the pressure of safe-guarding each and everyone left alive though. This frakking bizarre turn of events seemed to victimise Bill Adama more than most!

Cottle went out of the door and closed it gently; he caught Tom Zarek's eyes and beckoned him over.

"How is he?" Zarek asked.

"I need you to do something for me; I don't want to leave the Admiral too long."

Zarek nodded.

"I need you to go and see if the President is awake and tell her what's going on."

"Ah, what exactly is going on?"

"Surrounded by idiots," Cottle mumbled under his breath and sighing loudly.

Pointing towards Carolanne's bed he said quietly, "That women is...was Carolanne Adama. Bill's ex wife."

Zarek whistled, "But, she's a ..."

"Cylon, yes likeTigh and all the rest, Adama seems to have an eye, it's bad enough to pick up one in a lifetime but two that's just careless."

"Cylon." Zarek said still fixated with staring at the bed with the figure of the now Anne Jameson, her husband once again by her side. "What are we going to tell him?" Tom indicated to the man by the bed.

"Nothing let's try and sort one thing at a time." Cottle said, "Go tell Laura, Mr. Vice President, she needs to know."

"Right," Tom said distractedly.

"Now!"

"Right, yes, ok, will do," He said walking in vaguely the right direction never taking his eyes from there last discovery. "Adama's wife, damn, what's so special about him, he's got beautiful woman falling at his feet, ugly old grumpy sod like him!" Zarek mumbled on this way.

Cottle returned to his office this time keeping his door open. Adama was hunched over in much the same state he had been when he left, only difference was the rapidly diminishing liquid in his glass.

"Bill, I'm going to put Lee on the same drug régime as Laura, it seems to work well for her. She sleeps most of the time but she has moments when she is very alert and comfortable. It's the best we can expect, I'm afraid."

The Admiral nodded his head without speaking. He swirled the last remaining dredges of fluid round the bottom of his glass suddenly fascinated by the patterns it made.

A timid tap on the open hatchway didn't even interest him enough to turn round, so Cottle answered the knock, "Yes."

Dee stepped hesitantly into the room, and aimed her question at the Admiral, "I'm sorry Sir to disturb you, I'm not really sure about what is going on here but I thought I should tell you, well I did try to earlier."

"Get on with it Lieutenant," Jack said impatiently.

"Yes Sir, sorry, Lee told me, when I first got there, that he had been meeting with his mother for several weeks. He had just spotted her by accident when he was visiting anther ship."

"He knew she was alive?" Adama's voice rumbled.

"Yes Sir,"

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"Ah," Dee looked to Cottle for support but found none, she really didn't want to say this, "I asked him that and he said you were divorced and she was remarried, and..." Her voice grew quieter as she went.

So Bill finished it for her, "and it had nothing to do with me, right?" He said turning his piercing eyes on her.

She nodded her head in regret.

Cottle piped up, fearing an outburst from the Admiral, "thank you, Lieutenant, that will be all, I'm sure you can go and sit with your husband now."

To Cottle surprise the Admiral snorted with amusement, "This day gets better and better."

"Have you spoken to Lee recently?" Cottle asked.

"No, he has not been very communicative for a while now," Adama said sadly rubbing a hand across his face.

"I'll be back in a moment Admiral," Cottle said watching the defeated man in front of him as he nodded his head at the words.

The Admiral drained the last dregs out of the glass and rose out of the chair to place the glass on Cottle's desk. As he stood waiting for his return, the day's events ran through his head. It truly was the most humbling set of circumstances, his ex-wife a Cylon which he supposed made Lee the first hybrid child of all. Why, why did he appear to be so tied up in this, was it deliberate, fate or just chance.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door being opened and Cottle walking in backwards pulling in a wheelchair. As he turned it, to Adama's horror he came face to face with Laura. She was propped up in the chair which had a high back with head rest to either side for safety. She looked tired but wore a smile on her lips, even if the stress of her situation was written in every line of her face.

Adama turned angry eyes onto Cottle and said with force, "What in the gods' names are you doing, Doctor?"

"Bringing the President in to see you Admiral," he said coldly, "she has enough stimulant and painkiller to keep her going for a few minutes."

"And you thought it was a good idea to get her out of bed?"

"Don't blame him, Bill, I ordered him to let me come," Laura said watching the two men.

"Just when did you start taking notice of orders," Adama spat at Jack.

"Bill." she said trying to divert him.

"You are wasting what little time the President has, Admiral," Cottle said calmly ignoring the raging man, turned and left shutting the door firmly on the way out.

"Prick."

"Don't be cross with him, Bill, he is on your side and you could do with more like him right now."

"He told you what's going on?"

"Tom came and told me," she said gently looking worriedly at him.

Adama took a deep breath and regained his temper, before he pulled up his chair to sit next to her. She looked frail and washed out. He supposed a lot of it must be the shear numbers of drugs flowing through her veins keeping the worst of the pain away. As he studied her she reached forward slowly and with great effort and captured his hand in hers.

"I understand how difficult this is going to be for you with Carolanne back on the scene and I want to let you know that I understand."

"Understand what," he puzzled.

"Well I know she is married again but she was the love of your life and..." Laura suddenly let go of his hand.

"Laura?

"Bill, you still wear her ring!" Laura bit her lip, as she tried to be brave and let him go, but the tears began to pool at the corners of her eyes, as she watched he looked down at the ring, twisting it round his finger a slight smile on his face.

"You're right," he said not taking his eyes from the ring, the smile had turned to sadness, and she felt as if her heart was breaking.

"I wear this ring because," he said with emotion breaking in his voice, "he used to sit on my lap, while we read stories about flying, always something about flying," Bill's eyes now shimmered with unshed tears, as he looked directly into Laura's eyes.

She could see the emotional upheaval he had suffered, the strain of problem upon problem, but still he found the strength or perhaps he had simply found ways to pigeon hole everything, compartmentalise and file it away for later. She had come up against a couple of those already, the boxing match sprang to mind and then the Bulldog matter, she had not enjoyed the guilt ridden version of Bill Adama, found the self doubting wallowing, tiresome if she were honest. This time he had every right to feel hard done by and she listened intently as he carried on.

"The whole time we sat together he would twist this ring round and round my finger, I don't think he was even conscious of the fact he was doing it."

Adama pulled both Laura's hands into his, "That's why I wear it, Laura, it has nothing to do with Carolanne, it's a sweet reminder of what we created and I don't have anymore, its one of the only connections I have left of him."

"Zak," Laura said, the tears now falling for him not because of him.

He nodded, and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. His voice was strained as he said, "Now I don't even know who he was."

Laura raised her hand up to touch his cheek, as he sobbed out the words, "I don't know who either of them are!"

She supplied the answer determinedly, "They are your sons no different than they were before all this started happening, none of this is their fault. Zak and Lee were your children and they still are, today as they will be tomorrow and until the day you die, do you hear me?" She said pulling his head up to look him square in the eye.

He nodded his head and ran a hand over his face clearing the tears that had fallen, before giving her a tentive smile and saying thickly, "I love you, Laura Roslin and Carolanne never entered my mind and never will do with you at my side, do you hear _me_?"

"Yes," she sighed, and nodded, as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers again. She closed her eyes to simply feel his presence, the raise and fall of his chest against hers, the slight flutter of her hair as his breath exhaled and the warmth of his skin were it touched her own. "I love you too," she whispered.

Laura felt herself losing the battle to stay with her love, but she needed to tell him something before she succumbed again, "Bill," she said pulling away from him will a terrible effort, "Tom," she said as his eyebrows lifted, "you can trust him, don't shut him out, he has a lot of respect in the Quorum and he will fight in your corner, he told me." Bill looked surprised even if he had indicated the same to him already.

"It's time for the Quorum of Twelve to step up and handle the repatriation to Earth, you can't do it alone," Laura watched as his eyes dropped to he floor, "they can do it, they are ready, I never thought I'd make it to Earth remember? I have made sure they are ready to handle this."

Her words were strong and he nodded his head in agreement, but Laura's words had taken there toll as her eyes started to close and her head started to nod to the side. He felt an awful moment of emptiness and loneliness as he watched her fight the affect of the waning drugs in her system. He wanted to shake her awake and tell her how much he loved her and couldn't do without her. But he didn't, he just watched as she drifted away from him again. What she had done was focused his mind, reminded him what he was fighting for, this courageous woman that made his life so full, he had what he needed to carry on now and stood to wheel her back to her room, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before walking round the back and grasping the handles to the chair. He had a couple of things to sort out, Earth and the Cylons, shouldn't take too long, he smiled to himself as he wheeled Laura out of the room.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**__ - The seven, now six, self-described machines who believe themselves without sin. But in time it is the sin that will consume them._

As Bill left Laura in the capable hands of her nurses, he was at once accosted by several people. Carolanne's husband, stood angrily next to a wary and concerned looking Tom Zarek, lastly, Cottle was there looking his usual impatient self.

Jameson was first off the mark. The Admiral was beginning to feel a slight dislike for the pushy man but as he thought about it, he realised guiltily his behaviour with Jack Cottle over the last few days had not been so different.

Ignoring the man completely nevertheless he turned directly to Zarek; "Tom please take...?" he turned questioning eyes to the man.

"Alan," the man supplied.

"Take Alan here off to one of our private rooms and tell him everything."

"Ah," Zarek started to protest.

"Is that a problem, Mr. Vice President?" Adama said raising an eyebrow in challenge.

Zarek squared his shoulders and answered, "Of course not, Admiral."

Bill nodded satisfied, "Thank you, if you have any questions afterwards Alan, please feel free to ask me?"

He waited until the man nodded and then turned towards Cottle, took hold of his arm and walked away from the other two.

Once they were out of earshot, Jack said, "I must congratulate you on training the Vice President so well Admiral, President Roslin would be proud!"

Adama grunted at the doctor's remark.

"Bill, Lee would like to see you, His pain med is under control now and his fairly alert, but…" the doctor stopped walking as they stood outside Lee's area and said keeping his voice low, "he is extremely emotional about what is happening, Bill, I told him about his mother, he was aware enough to see what was going on out there."

Bill nodded, but hesitated outside. Cottle frowned but laid a gentle hand on his arm and nodded slightly, as Adama looked at him. He watched as the Admiral took a final deep breath before entering to speak to his hybrid son. Cottle stood for a few extra seconds wondering if life could get anymore frakked up, before shaking his head and walking off towards his office perhaps a little drop of the hard stuff would reinvigorate him.

The moment Bill entered quietly unseen into the room, he was aware of the agitated boy on the bed, Lee's wife stood next to him trying to calm him but the look in his eyes screamed of panic.

Bill wondered briefly if he could get away with leaving before anyone noticed him, this was a conversation he felt dreadfully unprepared for. His emotions resembled a man desperately holding on for dear life, to a wire swinging about in the air. His knuckles were white and his feelings threatened to cut through like the very wire he held so tightly too. It was his duty to do this though, his record as a father was spotted at best, now more than ever before, Lee needed to feel part of his father's life.

"Lee," the Admiral snapped out gaining both occupants' attention quickly.

"Dad," Lee's frantic eyes turned hopefully to his father.

"Why don't you get some air, Dee?" Adama asked briefly taking his eyes off his son, to give her a reassuring smile.

She looked down at her husband, noted the fact he was at last still and nodded, leaving father and son staring at each other.

"Dee tells me you have been meeting your Mother." Bill started, wishing he could instantly take the ill chosen words back.

"I didn't know," Lee shook his head back and forth as tears streamed down his face, "I didn't know she was a Cylon, I promise."

Bill watched as Lee paled at the words and moved round the side of his bed to stand beside him.

Bill nodded his head and took hold of his son's hand. "I know it's alright."

If anything Lee's face crumpled further at his father's kind words. "I don't...what...she's...I met her by chance, she said she was trying to make a new life for herself. I was so cross to think she was alive and never got in touch with me." Lee shook his head before looking at the man standing by the bed, and broke down again, "And then I did the very same thing to you, by not telling, I'm sorry," he stuttered out.

"Lee, it's doesn't matter, not now."

"But she's a Cylon! I'm..." he said bitterly

"Lee, you're my son.''

Lee grew agitated again as he denied his fathers words, "No, you can't say that, I'm the enemy!"

"No, Lee, you're my son just like Zak was."

"If I'm some sort of toaster, then so was Zak and he's dead, but those frakking toasters keep coming back after we kill them - why didn't Zak, why can't he come back?" Lee sobbed.

Bill took hold of Lee's head firmly in his hands, turning it so he looked directly at his son and leaned in close, keeping his tone sharp he ordered, "listen to me, you are not a Cylon, forget about what your mother is or isn't, you are my child and I love you very much. Now you have responsibilities, so you need to get a grip and pull yourself together. Do you hear me?" Bill kept hold until he felt his son try to nod.

Lee watched his father with surprise but remained silent.

Bill continued as Lee looked on in slightly calmer manner, "Just about everything I hold dear, is down here in this life stations, so don't for one minute imagine I have any intention of walking away from it, ok?"

Lee could only muster an undignified open mouthed nod at his father's impassioned words.

"I'll be back later, and I will send Dee back in to sit with you," Bill said bending down to place a kiss upon his son's forehead and turning away to leave the cramped room.

As he drew the curtain back around his son's room, he felt a new fire in his belly.

He'd had it with surprises; now he was going to turn on the heat, and the first rule of warfare was know your enemy! This fight had only one person's name on, and as he stroud out of life stations - the search was on.

Bill managed to track her down to the observation suite and as he walked in, he was greeted by the unmistakable form of Kara Thrace; she stood touching the large observation window.

Her pale hair and white bare arms rested against the black backdrop giving her a ghostly appearance, as if she belonged to the outside rather than the in.

She was different breed to the cocky, daring pilot they had lost all those months ago and Bill had changed his opinion on her a number of times already. There was no doubting her though; she had brought them to Earth. Well, some of them would make it anyway, one not included was her own husband and her lack of using up her visiting rights in life stations was telling.

Word was quickly spreading of recent events concerning his ex-wife and his son and as Bill stopped beside her, a glance was all that was required to see it had reached Starbuck.

Bill guiltily wondered if she had considered her life was becoming simpler with Sam in a coma, but Lee, as always, had complicated it again by turning up in the bed beside him.

His fingers gently touched the large black tattoo that took up the whole of her upper arm, it was a bold design of stylised bird wing, very appropriate for her he thought, and Starbuck was the best pilot he had ever seen, she was, at one with her ship. He said with a smile, "this going to fly you home, Starbuck."

Adama was surprised by the sudden run of tears that flowed down her cheeks, and her refusal to look at him, as she bit her lip in vainly to stop the emotion streaking down her face.

"Kara?" He asked worriedly.

She turned her head slightly towards him, and said in a bewildered childlike voice, "that's...that's the first time you have touched me since I came back."

He looked at Starbuck stunned for a second before reaching for her and pulling her into a fierce hug. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into her ear. "I am so sorry, my angel."

"What going to happen?" She asked the man she now regarded as a father, without letting go.

He shook his head as best as he could from the confines of Kara's tight hold.

"I don't understand," she said as she tried to breathe through the tears. "If Carolanne is a Cylon, that makes Lee… a hybrid child...and Zak was..."

He held fast as she tried to pull away from his embrace, "a very wise woman reminded me earlier, that none of this is their fault, they were, are, the innocents in all this, they never asked for it."

He felt her smile against his chest, and cheekily said, "The old Pres, she still got all the right words hey?"

Adama felt the smile and the easy rebuke hit him, as he pulled back and held onto her shoulders at arms length, "not so much of the old thank you, young lady."

She chuckled, "oh no, because, she is like a spring chicken compared to yo..."

"Kara!"

"Well you are a sugar daddy and all," she joked like old times.

Bill continued the teasing with, "You realise we told you about us, just so we could watch you squirm and struggle, with not being able to tell anyone?"

"Hey," she said laughing, "I can keep a secret!"

He raised his eyebrows, "Mmn, how long did you manage?"

"I wasn't to know that Lee didn't know, now was I."

"No, I suppose not," Bill said thoughtfully, as he looked down, "No."

Kara's smile slipped, "I didn't know, I'm sorry, I didn't think he would react like that," she said in distress remembering that Lee had not taken the news well and it had started the whole cycle of him resigning his commission and his murky involvement in Baltar trial.

Bill smiled sadly, "that's all in the past now, no need to fret."

He pulled back and looked carefully at her assessing her suitability to take on the mission he had planned. Through the tears and the laughter, her eyes looked tired but alert. He made his decision.

"Kara, I have a job for you, and I think you might enjoy this one?" he said waiting for her to smile.

He was so right, she was enjoying herself. Getting back in a viper, after being grounded since she had returned was a thrill. She missed the buzz she felt as she hurtled through the tube, into the cool black abyss. She felt more at home out here than she did with her feet firmly on solid ground, out here she was free, free of the life she had made so complicated and unattractive.

She couldn't help the bit of showboating she performed as she steered her craft along the length of Galactica's hull. Starbuck was back and she revelled in the feel of the ship all around her. Her little exhibitionist display was soon over though and she set her course across space towards the huge, still, Cylon fleet.

Starbuck muttered to herself, "oh, which one to choose, what's a girl to do with so many offers?" She really fancied one of the resurrection ships. Kara had never been on one of them, but the Old Man had specified a basestar and upsetting him, on the first task she had been trusted with again, didn't seem a good idea, so she aimed for the first basestar available.

"This is plain freaky," she said into the radio, as she walked around the silent, eerie ship, occasionally stepping over the forms of both humanoid and metal Cylons. "Can you hear me?''

The response came back in a ripple of cracks and pops, "Barely Starbuck, what's your current situation."

"Hey there Admiral, it's all quiet here, not a thing moving, just like our tame versions back home."

"The machines too?" The Admiral asked, straining to hear though the poor connection with Starbuck.

"Yes siree, toasters too. I'm going to check out this ship a bit more, than try some of the others as well."

"Watch yourself, Starbuck, don't get complacent."

"Yes Sir, out."

It was on the third basestar that she visited, that Kara stumbled across the hybrid tank.

She wandered up to the tub, watched to see that the occupant was asleep, same as everything else around here she mused, before dipped her fingers into the thick gluey liquid.

The sudden feel of flesh upon her hand made her jump, "FRAK," she shouted, as she pulled her hand quickly from the chamber and turned to see the hybrid's eyes wide open and staring at her.

"Wooh, frak me," Kara said stumbling back.

"At last, you have come for me, Starbuck" it said.

"Ah, how come you're awake, AND, how the frak do you know my name?'' Starbuck said as she stuck her head out the door and checked for any movement outside. Once she was satisfied she turned her full attention back to the chamber.

"What do you want?" Starbuck asked warily.

"They want it finished."

"What? Who wants it finished, the toasters? Do you still think you can finish us?" Kara looked round wildly, had she missed something? Damn, she wished she still had contact with Galactica but that had frizzed out the further she had moved into the Cylon fleet.

"They want it finished," the hybrid repeated.

Kara looked round suddenly as a thought hit her, she placed a hand on her forehead before saying, "hold on are you actually saying..." she moved up close to the tank, "are you saying that you are still in contact with them? Even when they are out cold?"

The hybrid turned her head quickly to directly stare at Starbuck making her jump slightly and stated, "What do you hear, Starbuck?"

"Frak," the familiar words spoken by that thing, had her reeling backwards to stand with her back against the solid wall.

Her voice started a pitch higher in tone than usual when she finally spoke again, "Who…" she took a deep breath, "who said that?"

"One of the pillars," the hybrid said in the same calm monotones.

"Pillars of what?" Thrace questioned.

"The five pillars of God."

Kara started pacing round the room again, trying to work out the hybrids babblings, "I wish the Old Man was here he was always good at riddles and puzzles."

"Ok, think this through, there has to be an answer?"

"Five pillars, five, ok is that the five new Cylons?"

"The pillars are not Cylons; they are the path to the ancients, the guardians. They watch over the truth, the foundation."

"This is getting weird now girl, come on," she shouted, "make sense."

"They have watched over the truth, their job is done," the hybrid continued to ramble on.

"They called to us, to bring the guilty ones to their destruction, to deliver us peace and set us free."

The hybrid appeared to smile before saying, "At last, they've come for me."

Starbuck frowned, she had a good feeling where this was going, but she asked anyway, "What do the pillars want us to do with the Cylon fleet?"

"The children of darkness must fall, they must pay for their atrocities, there must be atonement for there corruption." As Kara looked at the hybrid, she was surprised to see tears in its eyes. "Bring forth the morning star."

"Morning star?"

"What do you hear?"

Kara smiled, "nothing but the rain."

"Then sink your last bottle of Ambrosia and grab you gun."

They were odd words to hear from the lips of this creature but they were unmistakable in origin, only Tigh would know the words and manage to corrupt them so.

Kara pulled herself up to full attention and for the first time in her life saluted him with respect, "Yes Sir," she said smartly.

Starbuck left the basestar quickly heading straight for Galactica, she knew the job she had to do and she needed to inform the Admiral of her stunning findings. Mind you he had looked as if he'd had enough stunning moments to last a lifetime recently.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven:**__They will know enmity, bitterness, the wrenching agony of one splintering into many. And then, they will join the promised land, gathered on the wings of an angel._

Starbuck paced around the small room as she spoke to the Admiral and Vice President. It was a little odd to have Tom Zarek in meetings rather than the President,Laura Roslin,but to his credit he was asking the right questions and shutting up at the right times too.

The two men appeared to be on good terms, which was miraculous in itself. As she retold her tale, the two men would exchange glances and interject with the occasional question.

Kara tried to retell her hybrid encounter word for word and Adama's body visually stiffened at the use of their private word game.

"It actually said to you, 'what do you hear' and it knew your name?" Adama snapped, therewere very few people that would know the significanceto Kara of those words, and it wasn't only meant as a message to her, the meaning Bill wasn't sure about at the moment, but it had been received loud and clear. He leaned forward in his chair listening a little more intently as Starbuck continued her report.

"It was Colonel Tigh, I would swear," she said.

"A Cylon trick maybe?" Tom directed his question to Adama.

Adama pondered his response, "There are only a few that would know of that saying."

"Why did you decide to send Captain Thrace on this mission?" Zarek said once again ignoring her.

"Hey, what the frak are you getting at?" Starbuck snapped tersely.

"I'm just wondering, with your recent past, whether you were the right choicefor this mission," Zarek countered.

Kara rounded on Zarek, "If you haven't noticed, _Mr. Vice President_, I am definitely no frakking Cylon," pointing to her body then her mouth, "see walking and talking."

Adama interjected into the squabble, "lets get back to the report shall we, Captain."

Starbuck stared a few seconds longer than necessary at Zarek,before turning her attention back to her commanding officer.

"Sorry Sir, it mentioned five pillars, how they had called all the Cylons here, it gave me the impression thatthey were our five sleeping beauties in life stations."

Adama frowned, "There was something in the scriptures to do with the planet that we found the Eye of Jupiter on that mentioned five pillars, I can't remember what though," he said shaking his head, before muttering to himself, "Laura would know," he lifted his head, "never mind, what else?"

"It said something like,

'the darkness must fall, they must pay, then it had one of it weird turns, rambling on about bringing forth the morning star."

"Morning Star?" Adama asked.

"Angels, it's a term for angels."

Both Kara and Adama turned stunned faces towards Tom and his unexpected knowledge. He shrugged his shoulders, slightly embarrassed by it, and quickly turned the conversation away from himself by saying, "So we bomb them out of space and go settle on Earth, neat, don't you think?"

Kara was nodding her head, as Adama started to shake his.

"No."

"Oh come on," Kara blurted out.

Adama glared at his errant officer, "They are defenseless out there, they can do us no harm."

"Which is why we should hit them now."

"You enjoy killing a sitting target, Starbuck? Adama growled.

"It's called payback, Sir."

"Much as I admire your sportsmanship and I hate to do it, I have to agree with Captain Thrace here," Zarek said seriously.

"It's genocide."

"Hardly Admiral we have our own versions down in life stations, I would imagine you have no intentionof giving them up."

Kara weighed into the battle of right or wrong with, "Sir, it'swhat the final five want us to do."

"What's to say they are right?" Adama said.

"You can't have it both ways, Bill," Zarek said softly, "You either trust those five or you don't."

Adama sighed heavily; he wished Laura werehere not for the first time but thinking logically she probably wouldn't be saying any different to what the other two occupants of his cabin were advising right now.

Zarek continued,as the Admiral remained silent, "Let's weigh up the options, we can't leave those ships just sitting in space, sooner or later they will stop functioning and then they become a danger to the planet. It's not exactly humane to leave them there like that anyway is it?" Zarek watched Adama as he gave a tiny nod. "If we could somehow get those ships out of this Solar system we then become virtual prisoners unable to leave ourselves. I've seen no sign of mercy recently from them, have you?"

"No," Bill mumbled.

"We have no choice," Tom said, "As Vice President and in temporary control of this fleet, I have the ability to order you to destroy the Cylon fleet, Admiral, if I need to?"

Bill turned his head away in distaste.

"Bill, you can't leave this system if you let them go," Zarek said, having a good idea of the man's plan, and hoping he could exert pressure on Adama to change his mind.

Adama grimaced but turned to Starbuck, "Get suited up and ready to strike within the hour."

"Yes, Sir!" She grinned, saluted and turned, giving Zarek a wink as she left.

"It was their urge to destroy us that drove them to their own destruction, Bill." Tom said as he pulled up his chair to the desk and continued, "right let'stalk about getting our people onto the planet shall we I don't wantthis toend up like the frakking mess that New Caprica was, and before you say it, I'm well aware, that little episode had more to do with my power hungry urges than any incompetence wherethe military were concerned, but all I want now is to have learnt by our mistakes."

Bill looked Zarek in the eye, weighing the man up, before nodding and opening a folder on his desk, "Resources are good on the planet, we have pinpointed several excellent areas for colonisation, and I suggest we get as many healthy workersdown there as we can,to start the building programme."

"Good, good, do we keep them down there or ferry them up and down."

"I don't think anyone wants to see a tent city again -soshuttle them up and down initially."

The two men sat for the next few hours, hashing out plans for the settlement of the human race on the planet Earth. As they busied themselves the order was given to move the rest of the colonial fleet to a safe distance away from the Cylons. Once this was achieved Captain Thrace was sent out to destroy all the enemy ships in the solar system, the progress was slow as Adama ordered each ship was destroyed carefully to minimize any debris falling to Earth. Even so the atmosphere round the planet glowed constantly as small fragments burnt up in the air high above. Tiny particles of dusk accumulated on the wings of Kara's viper as she flew in and out of orbit checking for the debris. As she passed low over the ground taking in the sights of Earth before returning to the next destruction the Cylon ashes were scattered across the vast land masses and seas of Earth.

"You have no intention of coming do you?" Zarek said as their meeting drew to a close.

Bill took his glasses off and squeezed the bridge of his nose before answering honestly, "No."

"You want this ship, what else?"

"Anybody that wants to come, they don't have to be in the military and I intend to return every six months."

"I see, and what if I say I need you on the planet?" Tom asked.

"You don't."

"Hmm, and what do I tell the people?" Tom questioned.

"You tell them, that for their safety, Galactica will continue to investigate the areas around this solar system."

Tom smiled, "you're good, and you have all the answers."

Bill smiled slightly at the Vice President, "Maybe?"

"What happens if you're wrong about the remainingCylons?"

"I don't think I am but they can pose no threat to Earth."

"You're about to risk your life, on this. I hope you are right because if you're not, when they wake up they're going to be pretty pissed off."

"Maybe but what possible meaning could my life hold without my son, my best friend, my ...?"

Zarek snorted, "Your ex wife you were about to say I think, couldn't have been about Laura Roslin that would have been highly improper, Admiral."

Bill looked down with a smile on his face, gods he hated this man for making him,actually like him.

"Speaking of Laura, how do you think she will take to having your ex along for the trip?"

Adama sighed, "She wouldn't be my first choice for a travellingcompanion myself."

"Maybe if you took that off, it wouldn't hurt," Zarek said nodding his head towards Bill's hand and the ring whichnobody in the fleet had missed or not speculated about."

"I suppose now is probably the right time," Bill said pulling the ring from his finger and laying it flat on his desk top, and stared at it.

Tom watched Adama carefully, he suspected there was more to that ring than the pull of a woman that clearly had no effect on him anymore, but Tom wasn't about to chance this fragile relationship whichthey had built up by prying into the man's affairs.

"Laura, will be fine, I'm sure, she is a remarkable woman," Tom stated confidently.

The Admiral met Zarek's eyes,looking for any trace of sarcasm or one upmanship on the Vice President'sface but could see none, so nodded his head in agreement.

"And of course, it could have been worse."

Bill raised his eyebrows in surprise; he couldn't think anything much worse, and questioned, "How so?"

"Well the fifth Cylon could have been Baltar!"

Bill stared at Zarek for moment before erupting into a series of uncontrollable laughs.

_Just one more chapter to go, and thanks toeveryone who has reviewed._


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the delay in posting this, the last part, I hope it was worth the wait!**

_Denotes Flashbacks_

_**Chapter Twelve**__- Not an end a beginning._

It was ironic, Laura thought, as she stood watching the planet below, it had taken them years of running, years of pain and fighting, to find Earth and here she was now - watching, as Galactica orbited round this new planet. Ridiculous really you locate the mythological Earth, only to find your dreams quickly disappearing as you discover you can never set foot upon it, and then low and behold another planet comes along within months of searching, the difference is this one you can step on, in fact you already have!

This planet, now lived upon by the long lost thirteenth tribe was literally a dream come true, for all of them.

She was too preoccupied on the wondrous sight to notice as the Admiral slipped into the room, the first sign of his presence was when a gentle hand slipped round her waist, she gripped his forearm keeping it in place as she muttered, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Bill smiled, they were the exact words she had whispered in his ear, all those months ago, as he held her in his arms and they watched Earth below them.

_He had gone to visit her in life stations, wanting to tell her they would be leaving soon, all preparations were going well on the surface and the new President had given them permission to leave orbit on their journey of exploration. Bill had been looking forward to conveying the news to those in Cottle's care, it had been a difficult time especially for his son and Laura, they'd had a constant barrage of pain and lethargy. But they weren't the only ones suffering, those family members who had suddenly found themselves having to confront the fact their partners were Cylons also suffered mostly silently. Bill had gathered those loved ones together fairly early on after his own ex-wife had been brought in. He had watched their faces as he told them for certain that their worst fears were all true, there could be no doubt those individuals lying in hospital beds represented the final five Cylons. As such they stood no chance of setting foot on Earth until a cure was found, if it could indeed be found! He went on to tell these frightened bewildered people in front of him that it was his opinion that their loved ones had meant no harm to the human race and had in fact, worked tirelessly to save it._

_With the pep talk over, the Admiral spoke of his plans to leave this solar system and give them the opportunity to live as normal life as they could. He was thankful that every one of them agreed and wanted to at least find out how the truth was to impact on their relationships and futures._

_One person was noticeably absent, just as the Admiral had intended, it wasn't a meeting he was looking forward to and he had no idea if he could influence them or not but he felt he should at least try._

_Bill had relayed the meeting back to Laura and watched as her eyes had grown a little distant._

_"Laura, what's wrong?"_

_Turning to him, she simply shook her head, "It's so unfair, Bill, you deserve to settle on Earth, not have to give up that dream."_

_"Laura, that was always your dream more than mine and if it comes down to who deserves it, you would surely be down there."_

_She shook her head still, "You shouldn't have to..."_

_"Nobody is forcing me, Laura, but above all else my family and friends will still be on board," he reached forward and gripped her hand, "and then there is you," he said smiling at her and pulling her hand up to kiss the knuckles. "If you think you're going to get away from me that easily you've got another thing coming."_

_She gave him a watery smile. "I love you, you old romantic, I wish I had got to see Earth, just once, you know?" she said quietly._

_He nodded his head, "I know, my love, I know."_

_Time stretched silently for a few minutes before Adama suddenly stood up and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes."_

_When he came back in, he was smiling and he grabbed Laura's dressing gown from the end of the bed. _

_"When a wheelchair becomes available, I have arranged to take you down to the observation suite to see Earth."_

_"Really," she said excitedly as she tried with difficulty to get her arms to cooperate and stuff them into the arms of her gown. "When's the chair coming?" she asked as Bill thankfully helped her dress._

_"Could be a while, Cottle's got some test on the go and needs them to ferry people about."_

_"Aw," she said quietly._

_Bill watched as the smile faltered a little and made an instant decision. He picked up the blanket from the end of the bed and pulled the rest of the covers off Laura's legs._

_"What are you doing?" Laura asked as she watched him pull the blanket across her shoulders and cocoon it round her legs._

_"We're going to see Earth,'' he said as he slipped his arm under her knee's and behind her back, lifting her into his arms._

_"Bill!"_

"_Yes?"_

_"Put me down, I can't be seen like this," Laura protested._

_"Laura, there is hardly a soul on this bucket now, they're all on the planet working," Bill said grunting slightly as he moved her to a more comfortable position._

_"Well, you will hurt yourself; I'm too heavy to carry all that way!"_

_"Laura," he said, smiling at her protests, and walking swiftly out of her room and through life stations without notice. "You don't weigh nearly enough, my dear."_

_By the time they reached the observation deck, Laura's protests had turned to quiet giggles into the Admiral's neck as he breathed rather heavily._

"_I told you I was too heavy."_

"_Nonsense, we're here now, look." He encouraged her, as he came to a stop in front of the large viewing window._

_Laura lifted her head with some difficulty and some regret from Bill's warm fragrant neck and gasped at the sight of the planet below, _

"_It's beautiful," she said turning to look at him," isn't it?"_

Laura was brought back to the present as Bill snaked his other arm around her body and pulled Laura back slightly to rest against him.

"We will need to go soon, that's why I came to find you, Tory said you where in here, AGAIN," he teased.

She pinched his arm gently for the sarcasm and said, "Yes, well, I guess we had better put our best negotiating hats on again. Do try and smile occasionally, I think the stoic Admiral routine unnerves them, dear."

"Of course, Madam Ambassador, what ever you say," Bill whispered in her ear as he nibbled lightly on her lob.

She slapped him on the arm, "That's not going to get us there on time, now is it?" She said, as she pulled away from him, making sure her ear was the last thing to lose contact with him.

"I hear Starbuck is due in soon," Laura commented as they started to leave the room hand in hand.

"Yes, any time," he smiled.

They had spoken briefly over the archaic communication system that the original inhabitants of Earth and this new planet had set up centuries ago, a bit of tinkering; well a whole lot really, by Tyrol and his crew, had the system up and running again. They had sent a raptor back to Earth with an update of their findings and instructions on how to use the technology. The first messages had come though a few weeks ago. As accommodating as this planet's people had been, it was good to have the opportunity to communicate with those they had shared so much with.

Bill face looked a little apprehensive though, so Laura asked, "What's wrong?"

He turned concerned eyes her way, "Do you think she will be alright?"

"Kara? Of course she will, you didn't leave on bad terms."

"I know but I feel as if I abandoned her."

Laura sighed, they had been over and over his decision to talk to her, and it was one of the first things he had told her about once she had fully woken.

He looked across at Laura as she gave out the sigh, he knew this was old news but thinking back, the decision still troubled him. He went over the meeting in his mind again.

_Bill had been sitting at his desk when Kara finally turned up to her summons, to be fair she had been overseeing supply shipments on Earth's surface, when the requested meeting had been relayed to her, still, knowing her as he did, he sensed no rush to leave the planet for a meeting with the old man. Neither could he blame her, the outside life seemed to be suiting Kara, her face when he finally saw it, held just a little hint of colour and the smile was back on her face._

_"Sir," she said with a sloppy salute and a wide grin on her face._

_"Sit down, Kara, I wanted to tell you of my plans and talk to you about yours."_

_"Ok," she said warily sitting down slowly, "Sounds serious?"_

_"I'm taking Galactica and leaving this Solar system with the remaining Cylons," he started bluntly._

_Kara called out loudly, "You're stealing Galactica?"_

_"No! No obviously not," Adama said patiently, "the new President and I have come to an agreement. Galactica will continue to explore for the thirteenth tribe."_

_"You're leaving Earth," Kara said distantly._

_"Yes, Cottle will continue to work on a cure for those in life stations and in the mean time Galactica will go on regular patrols as they used to, those members, once they are cleared, can rejoin the crew."_

_"Where do I sign up?" She smiled at the man she called a second father._

_Bill looked down at his desk as he said, "Kara, I want you to stay behind on Earth."_

_She opened her mouth and then closed it, as tears sprang to her eyes._

_"I can't, you can't, my...Sam is here you can't expect me to stay behind."_

_"Kara, I'm not trying to telling you not to come, it's just I want you to think about staying on Earth for a while, helping the President as his military commander. I need someone I can trust here and..." he trailed off._

_"What?" The stunned woman asked._

_Adama looked slightly embarrassed at treading on personal ground but it needed to be said, "I think it would be good for you to be away from...Lee and even Sam, get your head together for a few months," Adama looked straight into her wild eyes, "decide just what you want."_

_"I...," she stood up suddenly, "I need to think," she said before fleeing out his door._

_She came back a few hours later, bravado back in place and coolly accepted his promotion offer without mentioning her husband or his son in the process._

"Bill," Laura smiled, intertwining their fingers more securely and gain his flagging attention. "Stop worrying so much, she'll just be pleased to see us all again, I'm sure."

"Hmn," he said, as he regained his focus to the feel of Laura's fingers tracing the outline of his ring. "You think?"

She nodded her head, "I do."

Bill smiled, it wasn't more than a few months since she had uttered those words in front of a priest and Bill was still getting used to the idea that she instantly said yes to his question, let alone that she had gone along and actual married him.

Adama brought their joined hands up to his lips and kissed the finger that held the identical ring to his own.

"Ok, Mrs. Adama, shall we go negotiate for a small cabin by a stream?"

They started to walk off again as Laura asked jokingly, "Do you think it would be pushing it to ask for a balcony too?"

Saul Tigh watched the raptor door open and felt his heart lighten and constrict at the same time.

Bill and Laura immediately stepped into view as they exited the small vessel back from their negotiations. They emerged both smiling at something that had been said that tickled them. They did a lot of that now, smiling. Saul couldn't remember a time when he had seen his friend so happy, it gladdened him but at the same time, made his own life feel lonelier. He hadn't been abandoned and left out of their new life though, quite the opposite, they had both made a supreme effort with all the final five, leading by example. In general they couldn't complain at the way they had been treated by the other humans on board, a surprising number had agreed to sign on for a six month tour of duty, maybe it was the lack of a Cylon threat out here now. The majority had seemingly accepted, himself, Tory, Anders and Tyrol, even if they hadn't fully come to terms with the fact they were Cylons themselves. There would, he feared, always be a doubt, niggling at the back of their minds, his best friend for over twenty years was the exception. He had been first in the queue to make his feelings clear.

_He remembered coming to in life stations, they had apparently jumped away from Earth, rendering the magic cure of wakefulness._

_He hadn't been surprised to find Bill Adama sitting patiently beside his bed, he was later a little startled to find out the number of choices of bedsides he could be sitting beside and yet he choose his. _

_Saul scooted back to sit up quickly in the bed, grimacing as he went._

_"Careful, you're bound to be a bit weak, you've been lying in bed a long time," Bill said quietly._

_"What the frak is going on?"_

_"You tell me Saul? When were you planning on telling me my second in command was a Cylon?" Adama said in an outwardly calm tone._

_"Oh, frak," Tigh groaned, "it's not what it looks like, we weren't..."_

_Bill interrupted; this was an opportunity to see were they stood, so he asked Saul some questions that he already knew the answers to. The way his XO answered them would hopefully give him some clue as to where his loyalties were._

_Adama sat forward in his seat, more than close enough that if Saul Tigh did want to hurt him he could._

_"We?" He asked._

_Saul's eyes briefly took in his surroundings, four canvas walls left him with no idea what was going on. His eyes tracked back to his commanding officer quickly and without hesitation he replied, "There are four of us, Tyrol, Tory, Anders and myself. We've know since the trial, we all, sort of found each other and I swear Bill, we all agreed that first and foremost we belonged to this fleet."_

_"Really, so why didn't you come to us then?" Bill said harshly._

_"We...I knew what would happen, we'd be confined to the brig... and I didn't want to let you down, I don't understand how this has happened but I knew I'd never do anything to harm you or the fleet."_

_"Like Boomer didn't?" Bill exclaimed._

_"Bill please," Tigh cried out, leaning forward, "I would never... you're my best friend," Saul said before breaking down in tears._

_Adama swallowed, this hadn't been what he wanted to achieve, truthfully Bill knew how difficult this was going to be for him, Saul was fiercely loyal to him. He reached forward and placed his hand on his friend's arm._

_"Saul," he asked softly, "Do you remember anything while you were asleep?"_

_"No, should I?"_

_"What's the last thing you remember?"_

_Saul pulled a face as he tried to remember, and said unsurely, "I…Thrace…I vaguely remember telling her to destroy the Cylon Ships."_

"_She did, but Saul, you never had that conversation, Kara was speaking to a hybrid."_

"_What the frak is going on Bill," Saul said in bewilderment. "She destroyed them?" He asked._

"_Yes."_

"_Good! Bill, I don't pretend to understand the Cylons, even if I am one but those skin jobs have corrupted and manipulated the whole race, this gives us the opportunity to start again, together?" Saul pleaded, "Can we do that Bill?"_

_Adama looked steadily back at his friend, "I think we can, yes," He said as he smiled._

As Bill stepped down from the Raptor he briefly turned to hold out his hand to his wife to grasp before turning back to his XO and saying excitedly, "Saul, you won't believe, they have this drink down there that will even make your toes curl."

"Pay no attention to him Saul, somebody partook a little liberally in the drinks tasting."

"I did not!" The man in question defended sulkily.

Saul smiled politely at their antics, "how did it go?"

"Great, they have agreed to let anybody on board settle. Plus they want to offer the invitation to the rest of the fleet or if they wish to stay on Earth, to convey any assistance they can," Laura said, looping an arm round Tigh's as they began walking off the hangar deck. Leaving a slightly unsteady Bill trailing behind them.

"And they want what in return?" Tom's rather crackly and suspicious voice came through his radio system.

"We negotiated them down to immediate copies of our star charts and access to the blueprints of Galactica's ftl drives after a full year of settlement. They have a agreed to allow Galactica to come and go at will, but want equal rights to anything found on it exploratory flights."

"Mmn, sounds reasonable."

"They even agreed to take Bill's ex-wife," Laura giggled, "that has to be the deal of the century."

"Hey, I heard that," Bill shouted out from the head.

"You sound happy, Laura," Zarek chuckled.

"I am, Tom, very happy."

"Good, you deserve it, you all do. Mind you, how that grumpy old Admiral can keep you happy is beyond..."

"I'm standing right here, Tom," Adama growled over Laura's shoulder, having exited the head to hear the last part.

"Admiral," Zarek said jovially, "how nice to hear from you."

"Moron," Bill muttered under his breath, loud enough for only Laura to hear and smile up at him.

The rest of their report back to Earth went quickly and smoothly, the twelve members of the quorum were more than willing to put their trust in the former leaders.

Once the meeting had drawn to a close with cheerful goodbyes, both Laura and Bill relaxed back on the couch. It had been a long but rewarding day; Laura closed her eyes as Bill got up to fetch a bottle and a couple of glasses. As he sat back down instead of pouring it out he placed the bottle down on the table top.

"Has Carolann been giving you grief? I could have a word," he enquired.

"What? No, Bill I was joking," she stated. The minute the words had come out of her mouth earlier in jest to Tom and she realised that Bill had heard them; she knew he would question it. He was terribly oversensitive about his ex-wife being around; she guessed that he felt rather awkward with the situation. New wife and old wife within spitting distance of each other, it would never happen in normal circumstances, even before they found Earth they would have been on different ships within the fleet. Truth be told, Laura felt rather sorry for the woman, the other quartet of new found Cylons were all well established on Galactica beforehand. Carolann and her husband were totally alien to the military way of living and that didn't even take into account the revelations of late she had to contend with.

Laura remembered the first time she had met her. Well, met would be overstating, come across her would best describe it.

_Laura was finishing getting dressed, it was faintly absurd how good it felt to get her feet back into her usually backbreaking shoes, but the idea of never having to wear a dressing gown again was tempting. Not that Bill would complain she was sure. She felt wonderful for the first time in months and she couldn't help the smile that had taken up residence on her face._

_The first she knew of the confrontation to come was when the voices that had been nothing more than background noise began to rise. _

_She poked her head out gingerly, to see a nurse rush into one of the cubicles leaving the curtain flung open._

_"Get away from me!" the woman occupying the bed screamed, although at the rate she was going she wouldn't be in it much longer, as she threw the sheets off her legs._

_"Carolann, please, darling, let me explain," a man that Laura had never seen before was trying to calm her._

_So that was the ex-wife, Laura couldn't stop herself from wanting to watch the proceedings._

_"What are we doing on this ship?" she cried, ignoring the poor man._

_"Honey, you were brought here..."_

_The man, obviously the husband that Bill had spoke about, had no chance of finishing what he was saying as she interrupted him._

_"Who brought me here?"_

_The Admiral had the misfortune of coming out of Saul's cubicle just at that moment. Bill had asked her if she minded if he went to sit with Saul as he woke up and if this was any indication of the reaction to waking up as a Cylon then it was probably a good thing. Saul and Bill had know each other a long time and the new facet to their relationship would take time to get used to, Bill had wanted to assure his friend that he was ready to rebuild._

_His face upon stepping out into a clear line of fire from the ranting ex-wife was priceless. _

_"It was him, wasn't it? He brought us here didn't he?" Carolann shouted pointing at the confused Admiral, to be fair everyone looked a bit bewildered by the wild woman._

_"Mum?" Lee said, as he also stepped from his area still buttoning his jacket, "What's wrong?"_

_"Lee, you have to get me out of here," she wept in confusion._

_"It's ok mum you will be fine," her son reassured._

_Jack was next on the scene having been briefed on the situation by one of the nurses. He came swiftly across life stations and made a quick assessment of the situation, ordering a nurse to get him a sedative, when asked what was happening he was equally quick in answering, "Shock, she is in shock, the sedative will calm her down."_

_It had and under calm supervision she had been told the long story of how she ended up on Galactica. She wasn't happy and when Bill had tried to speak to her, he had reported back to Laura, rather annoyed that 'she hadn't changed'. What ever that meant? _

_Laura had only come across her once or twice since then. Carolann and her husband kept pretty much to themselves aboard but on the scant meetings they'd had she seemed a pleasant enough woman, she was difficult to read though and Laura had caught her a few times watching her and Bill together, which Laura found a little disconcerting. She had the feeling that she went out of her way to act up in front of Bill, and as a mother she seemed a little forced, but to be fair they only tended to meet at little get-together's that were arranged to keep morale up. The ship was a much more relaxed place now that the fight seemed to be over. Although the numbers were tight to run a ship of this size, all those extras on board were volunteers and enthusiastic._

_These little assemblies usually involve a fair amount of alcohol and Laura had quickly noticed she was shy in partaking. So really Laura felt she hadn't seen the best of her, and she knew from what Lee had said that she was trying hard in private to rebuild their slightly odd relationship._

Well this was no good she thought, if she didn't distract Bill some how he would brood as evening, so she leaned forward and grabbed the footwear she had only recently discarded.

"Why are you putting your shoes back on, I thought we were spending some time together?" Bill grumbled.

"We are."

"So why the shoes?"

"We are going to celebrate finding a home," she said, grabbing the bottle from the side, handing it to him, before picking up a couple of glasses in one hand and his hand in the other.

Bill went along willingly just pleased to see Laura so happy. Their destination no surprise as they stepped into the observation suite for the second time that day.

"You're getting predictable Laura," Bill teased.

"I don't care, this is our place."

He smiled, "it is indeed," he said, as he sat down on the wide seat, patting his knee for her to join him in their familiar pose. As she snuggled down on his lap, he thanked the gods for the decision he had made all those months ago.

_"It beautiful," she had said, "isn't it?"_

_Bill's eyes had been squarely looking at Laura not the Earth below but the beautiful woman he held so gently in his arms scared half to death that he would break her if he squeezed just a little bit to hard._

_He back up a little and careful sat down on one of the seats taking Laura with him to sit wrapped up on his lap. "Yes."_

_She turned to face him, to find him staring at her, "Bill you're not even looking," she said turning back to the planet._

_"I don't care," he stated looking straight at her, "Laura..." he spoke softly, causing her to look back at him. "Will you marry me?"_

_She looked surprised, and then her expression softened and she closed her eyes briefly and answered with a nod of her head and a gentle kiss to his neck._

_"Yes...yes please," she stuttered._

_They sat wrapped up tightly together watching the Earth below them that day, until Laura had fallen asleep and Bill had worried Cottle might send out a search party. _

Bill couldn't help thinking as he looked round the observation deck that he would miss this place once they were both settled on the planet they now circled, who was he kidding he would miss this old bucket immensely, it had kept those he loved and cherished most - alive and for that alone he owed it a debt but he knew they would find other special places, in the new life they were about to embark on.

THE END.

_Thank you so much for the great feedback. I have really appreciated it all!!_


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